Add Category
And it looks like a sore ankle will be his only worry in the lead-up to the decider after he only copped a fine for an incident involving Storm’s Felise Kaufusi on Saturday night.
Replay the 2019 NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final in full on KAYO SPORTS. Get your 14 day free trial and start streaming instantly >
Keary was palmed by the second-rower, and retaliated by grabbing Kaufusi’s hair and swinging an arm across his chin, for which he was taken off the field for a HIA. Kaufusi didn’t return to the field.
“I actually feel really bad,” Keary said after the game.
“I didn’t mean to knock him out or anything like that. I hope he’s OK I haven’t spoken to him yet but I hope he’s OK.
“I haven’t thought about the consequences but I hope he’s OK.”
When asked about the hair pull, Keary said: “I don’t know, I think I was just trying to grab him but I don’t really want to joke about it until he’s healthy. But it is what it is.”
A chunk of Kaufusi’s hair was left on the turf at the SCG.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson said post-game that Keary had nothing to fear from the MRC.
“If it’s consistent, it’s pretty certain he’ll be playing next week that’s for sure,” Robinson said.
If Keary had been hit with anything over a grade one charge, it would’ve meant missing the grand final and a potential trip to the judiciary on Tuesday night.
In the sheds following the game Keary was walking unencumbered and without a moon boot, but said the ankle would take some managing this week ahead of Sunday’s decider against the Raiders.
When asked if he was worried about it, Keary said: “Nah, not at all.”
There was doubt about Keary’s fitness leading into the preliminary final after reports surfaced he was wearing a moon boot and not training.
“I was always going to play, we knew we had to manage it a certain way and I knew the Thursday session I wasn’t going to do, I was just going to do some stuff on my own, and then Friday did everything. It was a little bit sore or not anything too bad,” he said.