Bulldogs update prominent players’ return dates and reveal a fresh injury to a forward
The Bulldogs have received more discouraging injury news.
The Canterbury Bulldogs have provided more terrible news on the injury front, compounding the club’s problems.
Viliame Kikau and Josh Addo-Carr have both had worse-than-expected outcomes as they begin their recoveries, while attacker Max King has been ruled out.
On Thursday evening, the club’s director of football, Phil Gould, revealed on Twitter that King has a rib injury and will be out for several weeks.
The @NRL_Bulldogs have received bad news. Max King has a fracture of the manubrosternal and 2nd rib sternocostal joints. He’ll be out this week, and I’ll consult with a cardiothoracic surgeon about the risk and clearance for RTP. Similar injuries, as well as a previous manubrosternal dislocation,…
Meanwhile, back-rower Viliame Kikau is set to be sidelined until the final couple weeks of the season, while the Bulldogs have confirmed Addo-Carr may be out for another six weeks.
This slashes reports that the star winger would be back in time for State of Origin.
It’s deflating for Dogs supporters as Gould suggested Kikau may only be out for six to eight weeks when he was first injured. A statement that is now in the review.
“Viliame Kikau suffered a pectoral muscle injury during training in the week leading into Round 7,” the club statement read.
“Scans revealed a full rupture and he has since undergone repair surgery and is recovering well. He will now begin his rehabilitation process and the Club will work with the relevant medical professionals to manage his injury post operatively.”
This confirms that he will be only predicted to play from Round 22.
“Josh Addo-Carr suffered a right knee medial ligament and high ankle sprain (syndesmosis) injury in the Round 6 clash against the South Sydney Rabbitohs,” the club statement reads.
“He underwent tightrope for syndesmosis surgery and is recovering well. He will now begin the rehabilitation process over the next 6-8 weeks.”
According to the Bulldogs, Addo-Carr will not be available until the 12th of June, which is Round 15.
Furthermore, Jacob Kiraz has been ruled out until at least Round 11, while Chris Patolo (Round 12), Franklin Pele (Round 14), Luke Thompson (Round 16), and Bailey Biondi-Odo (Round 21) are also out.
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Update on Luke Thompson’s injuries after the $800,000 Bulldogs star is injured on the eve of the season
Canterbury has been dealt a bitter blow on the eve of the NRL season.
The Bulldogs have lost international forward Luke Thompson to a serious ankle injury, which he sustained at training on Tuesday.
Thompson had to assisted from the field after going down just hours before the first NRL teams of the 2023 season were due to be named.
Bulldogs football chief Phil Gould later tweeted a grim update on the 27-year-old.
“Unfortunately Luke Thompson’s injury is quite serious,” Gould said.
“The prognosis is for at least six months of recovery.” Possibly longer, depending on the type of operation.
“Very sad for Luke and the club.”
Thompson’s situation is exacerbated by the fact that he is out of contract and now faces the prospect of missing more than half of the NRL season.
He’s allegedly earning $800,000 on his Canterbury contract this season, but his future is unknown if he can’t get on the field to compete for a new contract.
Thompson spent 161 Super League games with St Helens before joining Belmore in 2020.
He has only played 38 NRL games in three seasons for the blue and white, but he was an important element of rookie coach Cameron Ciraldo’s team this year.
In light of the injury on Tuesday, Ciraldo named Jayden Tanner to make his NRL debut on the bench for the Bulldogs.
