Bulldogs say Foran’s shoulder injury isn’t career-ending

The Bulldogs have declared that Kieran Foran's shoulder injury is not career-ending, according to NRL.com's Margie McDonald.

However, he may yet require reconstructive surgery despite X-rays clearing him of any fractures following New Zealand's 12-8 win over Great Britain.

The 29-year old hurt his shoulder early in the clash and despite being cleared of initial scans, will fly back to Sydney to undergo an MRI to determine the damage to tendons, ligaments and other soft tissue.

“We’ve worked really hard with Kieran over the last two years and we’ll continue to work with him and support him,” Bulldogs chief executive Andrew Hill told NRL.com.

“It won’t be until sometime later this week that we’ll know the full extent of the injury, but we’ll be around Kieran for whatever the next steps to recovery are.”

Originally going under the knife for his shoulder during his stint at Parramatta in 2016, there were fears that a second surgery could spell the end of his career.

But those fears have reportedly been allayed, with Foran's career set to extend into a 12th season.

New Zealand head coach Michael Maguire added: “It was unfortunate for Kieran but I know him well and he’ll bounce back bigger and stronger. He is one resilient human being.

“I’ve seen how professional he is when he’s been in camp with us. So it’s tough as a coach to see a player go through this.

“I’ve had a long relationship with Kieran over a long period of time – he’s had his ups and downs – but he was in really good form and ready to go. So it’s tough for him but he’ll bounce back.”