BREAKING NEWS: Drama escalate at Melbourne Storm as Hopgood declared unfit by doctor.
After it is confirmed that he will miss at least three months due to back surgery, J’maine Hopgood will need the Eels to make it deep into the finals if he hopes to play for them again in 2024.
The Eels announced in a statement that Hopgood will have a microdiscectomy, requiring a 12-week recuperation period, after consulting with physicians.
According to that schedule, if Parramatta advances, the 25-year-old probably wouldn’t be ready until the preliminary finals.
Following his Game One debut for the Maroons, in which he played 33 minutes in a loss to the Bulldogs, Hopgood carried the injury until Round 14.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, the center for the Maroons, sustained an AC shoulder injury in Game Two against the Blues, and is questionable for Game Three.
The 22-year-old was forced off the field in the MCG in the 24th minute due to an injury, but he gallantly returned to the field for the Maroons in the second half and scored his ninth Origin try.
Maroons coach Billy Slater stated, “It was a pretty tough effort to get back out there; he obviously wasn’t 100 percent, but he knew that his team needed him.”
Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson’s recurrent Achilles tendon injury, which worsened during the team’s Round 16 loss to the Titans, will keep him out of action for at least four weeks.
The 33-year-old spent a significant portion of the first half of the season dealing with Achilles problems, missing numerous training sessions in order to play in games. Andrew Webster disclosed that the ailment had gotten worse to the point where he was unable to continue playing and would be out until it healed.
Kade Dykes, a young player for the Cronulla Sharks, will miss the rest of the season due to knee cartilage restoration surgery.
Jeremiah Nanai managed a little calf complaint during Origin II, thus Cowboys coach Todd Payten decided not to start him in Round 17.
Veteran forwards Jordan McLean (calf) and Jake Granville (biceps) could return to North Queensland; both players are included in the 22-man roster in advance of later-week fitness tests.
Following their bye this week, the Titans anticipate that their dynamic playmaker Jayden Campbell will miss just one game. Scans revealed that early in the team’s 66-6 victory over the Warriors, Campbell sustained a metacarpal fracture in his hand.
Both Dolphins wing Jack Bostock and Bulldogs fullback Connor Tracey entered the NRL concussion protocol following Round 16 and are not eligible. Jesse McLean, a backline contender for the Panthers, also missed the match due to a head injury he sustained when playing for NSW in the U/19’s.
However, Penrith is buoyed by the return of spine tandem Mitch Kenny and Jack Cole, who both had to withdraw from the team’s previous game due to injury.
Both Storm center Nick Meaney (calf) and Raiders veteran Nick Cotric (ankle) will miss their teams’ match on Saturday; however, Canberra will welcome back livewire hooker Tom Starling after a concussion.
Following their inclusion in the expanded squad, the Wests Tigers stand a chance to regain both John Bateman (pectoral) and Justin Olam (knee). Additionally, Bulldogs forward Jacob Preston (foot), Dragons center Jack Bird (knee), and Sharks edge player Teig Wilton (shoulder) are all eligible to play in Round 17.
