The Dolphins have revealed there is hope for forward Tom Gilbert to return this season despite a confirmed pectoral muscle injury over the weekend.
A ruptured pectoral muscle - one of the more painful injuries - comes with an extended recovery time, but the Dolphins are hoping their key forward will be back in 12 weeks, setting his return date potentially as early as Round 24.
It means the forward, who has missed most of 2023 and all of 2024 before being able to return this year, will work through recovery as quickly as he can in a bid to get back on the field for the Dolphins' potential first charge into the finals.
It does mean however that he will miss another State of Origin series, with no chance of recovering before Game 3 is played.
Gilbert was expected to be a walk up starter for the Maroons in Game 1 of the series, to be played on Wednesday, May 28 in Brisbane, before he ruptured his pectoral muscle over the weekend.
โThese type of rehabilitations always have some variables but if Tom was able to come back somewhere around that 12-week time frame he would certainly be in line to play some games at the back end of the season,โ The Dolphins head of performance Jeremy Hickmans said in a club statement.
โIn previous seasons he has shown how diligent he is with his rehabilitation and that will also be a factor.โ
Gilbert will have surgery to repair the injury tomorrow.
