For Manly forward Caleb Navale, the 2026 season began with heartbreak before it had even got started.
The 23-year-old lock suffered a ruptured ACL during a pre-season training session, an injury that immediately ruled him out for the majority of this season and set him on a long and demanding road to recovery.
Four months on, Navale is closing in on a return to the field, with Round 25 against the Knights circled on the calendar.
It was a cruel blow for Caleb who had every reason to be optimistic about the year ahead.
He’d finished the 2025 season in the top grade, represented Fiji for a third year in a row in the Pacific Championships, and had just completed a gruelling pre-season.
Then, all of a sudden, his plans took an unexpected diversion.
Just a few days before the team’s first pre-season trial Navale’s right knee gave way during a routine training session at 4 Pines Park.
“Initially I was devastated, it was so disappointing after all the hard work I had put in across the summer months,” said the Fiji international.
“They gave me a couple of weeks off after the surgery just to process it all, to kind of accept what had happened.
“Then when I came back in, it all became clear what I needed to do.”
Navale says the support he’s received from the club's medical and reconditioning staff has been amazing, paying special tribute to Head Physiotherapist, Keiran Cleary.
“KC said to me ‘the plan is to get you back this season, like in about six months from now’,” he said.
“He said it’s going to be a long six months but the sooner you start ripping in, the easier it’s going to be.
From that moment I thought, let’s attack this with a positive attitude, and let’s get this started.
Caleb Navale
"Keiran put together a rehab plan that gave me a really clear picture of what I needed to do and the path I had to take to get back on the field.
"Having that structure and knowing what milestones I needed to hit made a huge difference."
Navale has also acknowledged the support of Head Coach Kieran Foran, whose belief in him has provided extra motivation during his time on the sidelines.
"Foz has been great. He's always shown belief in me and supported me throughout the recovery. Knowing the coaching staff still have confidence in me has meant a lot."
Although buoyant about getting back on the field, Caleb admits there were some tough times early on.
“The first bit after surgery was really hard, not being able to move and being on crutches and being so reliant on my siblings,” he said.
“Just the simple things I couldn’t do, like getting a coffee or driving to training. This has certainly made me appreciate things a lot more, those little things we take for granted.”
While watching from the sidelines has been tough for Navale, he’s over the moon about the team’s uplift over the past few months.
“With the team going so well there is an amazing vibe around the club, and it’s made me even keener to get back and be available,” he said.
“It’s amazing the way things are going with ‘Foz’ and all, and I’m hoping I can be ready if needed come finals time.”
The Orange CYMS junior says that being given a realistic return-to-play target early on has kept him motivated through the recovery process.
Knowing there was a chance to get back with a few rounds still left in the season gave me something to chase.
Caleb Navale
"It's kept me focused and committed to the rehab every day.
“It’s been a really gradual process, and I’ve had to be really patient.
“I'm now doing the rehab running and I'm in the last couple of stages of that.
“Then in a couple of weeks I’ll move more into the strength and conditioning phase, and they’ll basically be prepping me to play.
“So maybe five or six weeks they want me pretty much back into full contact training and pretty soon I should be ready to play.”
After months of hard work the finish line is finally within reach.
