The Canterbury Bulldogs have suffered a significant blow to their forward stocks with a key member of their team set to spend nearly two months on the sidelines.
A late omission from last week's team against the St George Illawarra Dragons, front-rower Samuel Hughes, will miss at least six weeks with an ankle syndesmosis injury.
Making 25 appearances last season - after five in 2023 - the 24-year-old has cemented his spot in the forward pack after coming through the Parramatta Eels pathways system.
Replaced by former Sydney Roosters and South Sydney Rabbitohs forward Daniel Suluka-Fifita, Hughes has already undergone surgery to repair the injury damage and ensure he is fit and healthy for the remainder of the season.
โSam was fighting to get ready for game one. He injured his ankle against the Broncos in the second trial, came back a grade one syndesmosis, which is usually two to three weeks,โ Bulldogs GM of Footbal Phil Gould said on the Six Tackles with Gus.
โWe've had to rescan him this week. It's a grade three. He's been in and got surgery.
โSo he's out for six weeks, which is a big loss. I don't think it was a misdiagnosis. I think it was just one of those ones โฆ and unfortunately, it's cost him six weeks.โ
The news of Hughes' injury comes as back-rower Viliame Kikau is considering surgery on a recurring back injury.
While the Fijian international confirmed that it has been an ongoing issue since his time at the Penrith Panthers, he is hopeful that he will be able to avoid surgery for the time being.
โIt's a bit of an old back injury that has been hanging around for a few years now, it comes and goes,โ Kikau told The Sydney Morning Herald.
โIt's actually a bulging disc on my lower back, L4 and L5 disc, right on my lumbar spine at the bottom.
โI had it a few years ago when I started playing back in Penrith, so it's been an ongoing thing.
โSometimes it gets treated by the doctor, I get a needle in the preseason because I don't really play footy then. It's just about managing myself and looking after it well, obviously with my recovery after games like this.โ
