The Dolphins suffered a triple injury blow on Sunday, with one player set to be out long-term and another's return delayed by three months.

Second-rower Connelly Lemuelu is set to spend an extended period on the sidelines after he suffered a suspected dislocated kneecap shortly before half-time against the Cowboys. He was later seen on the bench with ice on his knee.

Wayne Bennett will also be without Ray Stone for Round 2 after the forward was taken from the field for a concussion test and failed his HIA.

Adding to their injury woes, Corey Parker revealed that Tom Gilbert has suffered another setback after he ruptured his ACL last month during the NRL Pre-Season Challenge.

With his surgery being delayed due to a blood clot, the setback could see him miss the start of the 2025 season.

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“I was talking to Tom before the game, and he has had a major setback with his ACL, which he tore over in New Zealand,” Corey Parker said on Fox League on Sunday.

“He got a blood clot in his calf, which then moved up to his lung, and it has put the surgery on his ACL back three months.

“So, some really unfortunate news for Thomas Gilbert.”

Coach Wayne Bennett confirmed this after the game, admitting there is no current timeline for his return and operation.

"There's no definite conclusion about when the operation is going to be," Bennett said.

"He did have a blood clot that's been resolved, but it's an ongoing examination with the doctors, and we don't have a definitive answer about what's going to happen or when it's going to happen."