With just eight weeks of the season remaining, the Wests Tigers have confirmed Alex Twal will be put on ice for the remainder of 2022, while Stefano Utoikamanu will be racing the clock to return for the final weeks.
In what has been a miserable campaign for the Tigers, the club will now be forced to try and stay away from the bottom of the table without two of their best.
It was reported that after Twal suffered his most recent concussion that the Tigers would end his season, and the club have now confirmed that to be the case.
It's Twal's third concussion this season, with one suffered during the pre-season, before another just weeks before he ultimately suffered his third.
Chief medical officer Doctor Peter Lorentzos confirmed Twal would play no further part in the 2022 season, also effectively ruling him out of the Rugby League World Cup with Lebanon at the end of the year.
"Alex has recovered very well from his latest concussion and is back running," he said.
"This latest concussion, however, is Alex’s third this season (including pre-season), and following advice given by concussion specialists, the club will be taking a conservative approach and believe it’s in Alex’s best interest to miss the remainder of this season.”
"Twal is remaining positive despite the news, ”I’m disappointed but I know it’s the right thing to do."
Utoikamanu, on the other hand, has suffered a left wrist fracture and the club are anticipating that he will miss anywhere between six and eight weeks.
It has been a difficult season for the former Eels' prop, who has shown signs of what he is capable of after being included as a reserve in the squad for last year's third and final Origin game.
However, he has been limited by injury and then minutes after returning, with former coach Michael Maguire playing the long game and looking to not burn out or re-injure his star forward.
With eight weeks remaining and the Tigers' season all but gone, the club may well yet look to put him on ice like Twal and hit the ground running in November for the 2023 pre-season.
