Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs young gun Mitchell Woods is unlikely to make his NRL debut at the backend of this year after another injury setback.
Woods has had a colourful history with hamstring injuries, with a severe tear in the preseason derailing his campaign he was all but set to feature in for the Bulldogs at NRL level.
Although AAP is reporting Cameron Ciraldo has indicated to take a careful approach with his rising star, and he is expected to be put on ice for the remainder of the season following another hamstring injury in his return game.
“It's a fairly significant hamstring tear and with his history there, we'll be pretty cautious with it,” Ciraldo said to media on Friday.
“It's not looking great for the rest of the season but he's got a long career ahead of him, and that's what we're focusing on.”
Meanwhile Bulldogs wrecking ball Viliame Kikau will return from a pec injury against the Wests Tigers on Saturday.
The Fijian international hasn't played since Round 8, and acts as a massive boost for Ciraldo as they look to find some end of season form.
“You can feel what he (Kikau) brings to our team in training, let alone what he does in the game,” Ciraldo said.
“He's so important to our team as one of our leaders, but also one of our strike players as well.
“It hasn't been easy with him not being on the field but we're really grateful that he's coming back this weekend.”
After some frightening scenes last week which saw skipper Stephen Crichton stretchered off the field, the club will opt to rest him given his tally of injuries in 2026.
Crichton made a miraculous recovery and was cleared of any major injury after feeling numbness when he was hit off the ball in the Bulldogs' heavy 40-16 loss on Saturday.
“I'd rather be over cautious in those sorts of scenarios,” the Bulldogs coach said.
“He obviously got the scan and it wasn't too bad, which was great news, and he's done really well to try and get himself back.
“He actually had a run last night (on Thursday) and tried a little bit of contact, but it probably wasn't exactly where we wanted it to be.
“I think the safest bet is to not play this week, but he should be a chance for next week (against the Warriors).”
The club sits in 11th on the ladder with seven wins and 11 losses in 2026, with every game crucial if they are to make the finals.
The Bulldogs will host the Wests Tigers at Accor Stadium on Saturday night.
