The Canberra Raiders have confirmed star edge back rower Hudson Young ruptured his Achilles.
Young's injury soured the club's 34-24 win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Saturday.
On-field diagnosis by club doctors tends to be highly accurate with Achilles injuries, with pushing off the heel out of contact and the sensation of immediately checking to see if they have been kicked all very common, according to NRL Physio and occurring in Young's case.
He will undergo surgery and commence rehabilitation to bounce back for the start of the 2027 season.
The Raiders will most certainly finish the season outside of the Top 8, but the importance of Young's leadership and experience on the field will be heavily missed for the club's remaining six games of the year.
It's not only a massive blow for the Raiders, but Young would have no-doubt featured Kevin Walters' Australia squad for the upcoming World Cup in October.
The Achilles tendon rupture is a critical, but rare injury for players in the NRL.
Shockingly, there were two of the same injury on Saturday, with Melbourne Storm winger Will Warbrick also succumbing to the injury, and marked his last time in the purple club colours before making the switch to the New Zealand Warriors in 2027.
A rough timeline typically suggests a nine-month turnaround, although varies on the individual and rehab workload.
Raiders forwards Ata Mariota or Noah Martin will most likely fill-in for Young for the remainder of the season in a light reshuffle.
The Green Machine currently has eight wins and 10 losses so far in 2026, despite claiming the Minor Premiership and pushing into the second week of finals last year.
The Raiders will host the Wests Tigers at GIO Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
