Angus Crichton had part of his left middle finger amputated after a long‑running football injury that would not heal with repeated surgeries. He chose the operation so he could keep playing NRL without missing extended time from yet another reconstruction.

What actually happened

  • Crichton originally ruptured a tendon in the middle finger of his left hand while playing in the under‑20s and spent years trying to fix it with multiple operations and fusions.
  • The finger kept breaking and causing pain, and he could not properly make a fist or bend it, which affected his ability to play.
  • In late 2017 he elected to have the finger partially amputated so he would be ready for the 2018 NRL season rather than undergo another long reconstruction.

Why he made that decision

  • After at least six surgeries in about three years, doctors told him more fusion or reconstruction would again mean months on the sideline.
  • Amputation meant a much shorter recovery time (around a couple of weeks instead of two months or more) and removed the constant risk of the damaged finger breaking again.
  • Crichton has said he was happy with the choice because it let him continue his NRL career at a high level, including making his State of Origin debut for New South Wales in 2018.

How it affects him now

  • He had to relearn some basics like catching and passing the ball, but after a few months he adapted to playing without the full finger.
  • Crichton has spoken about sometimes still being momentarily surprised when he looks down and remembers the finger is gone, but overall he feels the sacrifice was worth it for his career.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.