Redcliffe's injury curse shows no signs of lifting, with veteran prop Daniel Saifiti dealt a cruel blow in his comeback from shoulder surgery.

The timing couldn't be worse, as Saifiti was expected to be pencilled in to take the field in the opening rounds, but now will have to continue being on the sidelines for up to two months, according to The Courier Mail

For the Dolphins, it's a familiar and unwelcome story.

Battered and bruised over recent seasons by a relentless string of setbacks they've long attributed to misfortune.

The Dolphins are expecting Kurt Dongohoe (hamstring) back next week, while Max Plath is "ahead of schedule" after a knee reconstruction surgery that happened a month ago.