The St George Illawarra Dragons have suffered a massive loss ahead of the NSW Cup Grand Final next week, with a rookie forward being ruled out of the contest.
Set to take on either the Parramatta Eels or New Zealand Warriors next weekend, the Dragons will be without Jacob Halangahu after he was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Complaining of stomach pains, the young forward underwent surgery to remove his appendix and will be unable to do any physical activity for a short period, but will be ready for pre-season training.
Making his NRL debut earlier this year, the Under-19s NSW Blues representative played five matches in first-grade, in which he impressed coach Shane Flanagan and is likely to come into consideration for a spot on the interchange bench for next year's opening match in Las Vegas against the Bulldogs.
