St George Illawarra Dragons dummy half Jacob Liddle has suffered a serious hamstring injury during pre-season training which has left him in doubt for the club's opening game in Las Vegas against the Canterbury Bulldogs.
Only a few days over a month out from the game, News Corp are reporting Liddle has suffered a Grade 3 hamstring tear, with the injury occurring on Tuesday while he was chasing a kick.
Recovery timelines for serious hamstring tears do vary, but it's typical that the best case result is around six weeks.
The Dragons' opening game is only five weeks away, and includes a flight halfway around the world, so Liddle is more than up against it to take part in the clash against arch rivals Canterbury.
Despite that, head coach Shane Flanagan told the publication Liddle is a fast healer, and the hope is he will be available to start the season. What is clear is that Liddle won't play in either of the club's pre-season challenge matches.
“Jacob is a fast-healer, so we're not planning to be without him long-term and we're hoping he will still be okay for round one,'' Dragons coach Shane Flanagan said.
“In the meantime, we've got our upcoming trial matches to look at all our options."
Liddle was a bright spot during a difficult 2025 campaign for the Dragons, featuring well on-field, but also re-signing with the club to allay fears he could consider leaving after sitting on the bench behind Damien Cook.
The one-two punch of Cook and Liddle at dummy half is expected to continue in 2026 though, with Liddle even being suggested as a possible representative option in some corners due to his form from the bench.
If Liddle does miss out on the season opener, Haele Finau could be in line for a debut, with Connor Muhleisen at the club, but also recovering from an ACL injury.
The Dragons will travel to Las Vegas about a week and a half before their clash with Canterbury after playing pre-season challenge matches against the Newcastle Knights and South Sydney Rabbitohs in the annual Charity Shield clash.
