NFL history leaves us to ponder coronavirus' impact on NRL's May 28 return

The Detroit Lions' second round draft pick was a mix of confidence and exuberance, desperate to impress those who had placed their faith in him when training camp finally began.

Players across the league had spent 18-weeks and four days absent from training camp, restricted from seeing team doctors, entering or working out at team facilities, or communicating with coaches.

This was the NFL's lockout of 2011, which only drew to a close with the formation of a new collective bargaining agreement prior to the start of the regular season.

So Leshoure was desperate to show everyone back in Illinois just what he was capable of when he arrived at the Lions' training facility.

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His rookie season was over in a flash.

An Achilles tendon tear brought his rookie season to a grinding halt, a setback that would put him behind the eight ball for the remainder of his short career in the NFL.

Lions coach Jim Schwartz refused to believe Leshoure was a casualty of the lockout. But one can't help but wonder if it was a contributing factor.

Leshoure was the 10^th player to suffer a season-ending Achilles injury in the first 12 days of league training camps. The NFL would eventually record a spike in conditioning-related injuries during the 2011 season.

Dr Jonathan Glashow, an orthopedic surgeon, told The New York Times it was an injury which frequently occurred when players had been out of action and then instantly hit top speed.

"Having had that lockout, maybe some guys didn't work out. I think they're more vulnerable," Glashow said.

So why should you care?

Because a leading sports physiotherapist who has had stints across a raft of codes at the elite level fears a shortened preparation could lead to a similar spate of injuries in the NRL.

Officials are targeting a May 28 return date for the NRL, with clubs planning on a four-week training block to prepare for the resumption of the 2020 campaign.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced clubs to shut their doors, with players cleaning out gyms at their team's headquarters to continue training in isolation.

It is feasible to think some players will return slightly out of shape - although this break has been shorter than a player's regular off-season and they have been sent home with training programs.

It raises the question of conditioning-related injuries as club staff race to get their squads fit for the resumption of a revamped season, which could run for 15 games before the finals series is contested.

Some harbour concerns over the fate of female athletes in the NRLW given they will have little to no competitions in the lead up to an already condensed season, with women seen to be more susceptible to anterior cruciate ligament tears in Australian rules.

Then there are the curious cases of players like Canberra Raiders enforcer John Bateman, whose rehabilitation program following shoulder surgery has been hampered by the coronavirus.

Canberra enforcer John Bateman has revealed a drastically reduced rehabilitation program will impact on his NRL return after undergoing shoulder surgery late in the pre-season.

The 26-year-old second-rower was expected to be available within the next fortnight, but his recovery period will be delayed because Bateman is unable to see club medical staff regularly.

Physiotherapist Brien Seeney - known in rugby league circles as Twitter's NRL Physio - says a May 28 would mark 16 weeks post-surgery for Bateman.

The English international has previously had the same surgery on his other shoulder in 2017 and returned in 14 weeks.

A possible return five or more weeks later than expected shows how beneficial daily guided rehabilitation and treatment is at accelerating a return to play. One wonders if there will be any lasting effects.

So now we wait to find out. Is a four-week training block long enough for a heavy collision sport like rugby league at the top level? Or will dreams be shattered like they were for an NFL draftee out of Illinois?