Gould lays bare Dogs' alarming injury woes

1 year ago 55

Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould has fixed a bleak penetration into the injuries burdening Canterbury's NRL squad connected the cusp of the caller season.

When the Dogs look the Sea Eagles astatine Brookvale Oval connected Saturday afternoon, and for galore weeks after, their front-row stocks volition beryllium thin.

The club's astir important front-row casualties are Luke Thompson, who's acceptable to miss astatine slightest six months aft suffering an ankle injury, and Tevita Pangai Junior, who's expected to beryllium retired of enactment until circular 4 owed to a calf issue.

Props Chris Patolo (knee) and Sam Hughes (back) are besides sidelined arsenic Cameron Ciraldo eyes his archetypal crippled arsenic Canterbury coach.

"We've conscionable unluckily tally into an wounded contented starring into the competition," Gould said connected Wide World of Sports' Six Tackles with Gus podcast.

"We've got 4 of our starting front-rowers connected the sidelines. Not for a small bit; for a agelong time."

Thompson succumbed to wounded conscionable earlier the Dogs had to sanction their archetypal squad of the play connected Tuesday afternoon.

The England planetary has been plagued by injuries since joining Canterbury from St Helens midway done the 2020 NRL season, chalking up lone 38 appearances successful bluish and white.

"It was conscionable a elemental method drill," Gould said arsenic helium explained the origin of Thompson's latest injury.

"He was conscionable moving done immoderate bump pads. You spot them bash it earlier games and each that benignant of thing. He conscionable got disconnected equilibrium and fell, and his ankle got caught underneath him.

"But he's done it very, precise severely and it's going to beryllium an extended lay-off for him.

"I consciousness atrocious for Luke, he's had a unspeakable time, it hasn't been a blessed clip for him.

"He's a large bloke, truly competitive, truly professional. He's going to beryllium severely missed."

Gould suggested the genu wounded of the 21-year-old Patolo came astir gradually.

"Chris Patolo, 1 of our promising front-rowers, has had a large off-season, has conscionable developed immoderate beauteous aggravated bony bruising astir his knee," Gould said.

"We're trying to get to the bottommost of that, but they're saying it could beryllium thing up to three months."

The 22-year-old Hughes, who was added to Canterbury's top-30 roster successful November, underwent lumbar-disc country during the off-season.

"It wasn't thing elaborate, but helium needed immoderate nerve-impingement merchandise and it's enactment him backmost down the 8 ball," Gould said.

"It'll inactive beryllium immoderate clip earlier helium plays."

Gould said being stripped of 4 front-rowers who'd ideally play successful the Dogs' 17 made the squad "a small spot small" and "a small spot vulnerable".

Max King and Ryan Sutton person been named to commencement successful the beforehand enactment against Manly, portion props Jayden Tanner and Franklin Pele, and second-rowers Corey Waddell and Jacob Preston, volition statesman connected the bench.

Tanner isn't a subordinate of the Dogs' top-30 squad and is lone connected a $1000-a-week train-and-trial contract, Gould revealed connected his podcast.

"He's been terrific each off-season astatine grooming but, arsenic I said, we've had 4 front-rowers autumn implicit and we conscionable didn't person the extent to screen it," Gould said.

"So we've already had to spell and get qualified successful circular 1 to usage a subordinate that's not successful the apical 30 to play this play against the Manly Sea Eagles.

"So, very, precise breathtaking for Jayden Tanner."

The Dogs are hoping to play finals footy for the archetypal clip since 2016.

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