The Dolphins have provided an official update on the status of fullback Trai Fuller after he injured his knee playing for the Redcliffe Dolphins in the QLD Cup Preliminary Final last weekend.
Unfortunately for Fuller and The Dolphins, the worst fears have been confirmed with scans revealing that the fullback has sustained a "full rupture of his ACL".
The injury couldn't have come at a worse time for Fuller as he had cemented the fullback spot in the NRL side and recently signed a two-year contract keeping him at the club until at least the end of the 2026 season.
The club has confirmed he will see a surgeon next week and undergo surgery, which will subsequently rule him out of the QLD Cup Grand Final this weekend against the Norths Devils on Sunday.
"Regrettably the scans showed the injury was exactly what it looked like when he did it," said Dolphins NRL's Head of Performance Jeremy Hickmans.
"He will be operated on soon and that recovery will be extensive, but we will be aiming to have him back on the field midway through 2025."
It is understood that a ruptured ACL injury normally takes nine months to recover from meaning that he will hopefully be back midway through next season depending on how fast his rehabilitation is.
Horrible to see for Trai Fuller in Q Cup - knee injury with non-contact + direction change mechanism.
Obvious concern by video is for an ACL injury - best case meniscus tear/bone bruise but didn’t look good. Fingers crossed for him it’s somehow not as bad as it looks. pic.twitter.com/wcJbhTsL4p
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) September 14, 2024