Bulldogs lose marquee signing Leo Thompson for 10 weeks

[ad_1] Canterbury has been dealt a critical blow for the beginning of the NRL season with marquee recruit Leo Thompson to overlook 10 weeks with a calf damage.

Thompson, who arrived from Newcastle on a big-money deal over the summer time, suffered the damage whereas in camp with the Maori All Stars facet final week.

The front-rower was a late withdrawal from the facet to play the Indigenous All Stars, with what was initially reported as "calf tightness".

However on his return to Australia, scans confirmed a grade three tear.

In consequence, Thompson will miss Canterbury's journey to Las Vegas for his or her season opener in opposition to St George Illawarra subsequent weekend, in addition to a lot of the opening two months of the competitors.

The 25-year-old is anticipated to keep away from surgical procedure.

Candidates to interchange Thompson within the entrance row embody Sam Hughes, Josh Curran, Harry Hayes and Daniel Saluka-Fifita.

Thompson will not be the one star Bulldog below an damage cloud, with five-eighth Matt Burton persevering with to battle a hamstring damage.

The membership stays hopeful he might be on the airplane to the USA, after scans confirmed he didn't undergo a tear of their trial win over Newcastle.

If Burton is to overlook the match in Nevada, former Panthers and Dolphins halfback Sean O'Sullivan is anticipated to companion Lachlan Galvin within the halves.

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O'Sullivan is one in every of a number of new faces within the squad, together with former Manly hooker Gordon Chan Kum Tong.

However Thompson, a five-Check veteran for New Zealand, is the Bulldogs' main low season signing.

He has performed 80 NRL matches since debuting in 2022 and had been tasked with shoring up the center for the Bulldogs, as they try to interrupt the membership's 22-season premiership drought.