The Canterbury Bulldogs will be sweating on the availability of captain Stephen Crichton for the remainder of the 2025 NRL Finals series with the centre set to undergo scans.
Leaving the stadium in a moon boot and on crutches, Crichton sustained an ankle injury within the opening 20 minutes and didn't return to the field once he was taken off.
Believed to be a syndesmosis-related injury, coach Cameron Ciraldo confirmed he will undergo scans to determine the severity of the issue, but is unlikely to be available heading into the second week of the finals against either the New Zealand Warriors or Penrith Panthers.
Unlikely to play again this season, he is in major doubt for the remainder of the 2025 NRL Finals series with NRL Physio stating that it will be a minimum of at least a three-week recovery.
Stephen Crichton won’t return & will go for scans after suffering a suspected syndesmosis injury (high ankle sprain).
Mechanism fairly textbook - foot caught under him turns up & out. Fact he couldn’t continue + use of moonboot brings concern for at least a moderate sprain - if… pic.twitter.com/7eCnk7RVJC
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) September 12, 2025
"It's hard to know now without getting scans, but when you can't finish a game, it's not looking great," Ciraldo said post-match.
"That was a brutal game and we have to recover physically and emotionally and get ourselves ready to go next week.
"They're all pretty battered in there now and pretty down but we have to get ourselves back up and do it the hard way now."
Enari Tuala also suffered a calf injury and was helped from the field. He is set to be replaced by the returning Bronson Xerri, who was unavailable for last night's match due to a concussion.
