The Raiders' Premiership hopes have taken a major blow with the club ruling out both Josh Hodgson and Bailey Simonsson for the rest of the 2020 season.
Canberra officials confirmed on Sunday night that Hodgson had suffered a suspected ACL injury against the Melbourne Storm which will require surgery.
Early on in the opening half of footy at GIO Stadium, Hodgson went in to make a tackle on Storm skipper Cameron Smith when his knee awkwardly buckled underneath him.
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Taken from the field of play immediately after incident, club officials later confirmed the worst - that he'd actually ruptured his ACL.
"The Raiders have received scan results for both Josh Hodgson and Bailey Simonsson," the club said in a statement.
"Josh Hodgson will miss the remainder of the season after scans confirmed a ruptured ACL.
"He will have a surgical consultation this week to determine when he'll have surgery to repair the ligament."
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It's understood Simonsson, who injured his shoulder later in the game, will also go under the knife.
It's a cruel blow for the Raiders, who are still in the top eight on the NRL ladder despite their 20-14 loss at the hands of Melbourne.
But while some critics are now writing the side off completely, Canberra head coach Ricky Stuart has other ideas.
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"I don't give a s***," Stuart said after the game.
"We won't put our heads down. That I promise.
"I have never had an injury list like this but I just asked the boys to keep on turning up with same attitude and desire. I just want that effort that we had tonight."
Featured Image Credit: Fox SportsTopics: injury, Canberra Raiders, Melbourne Storm, nrl, Australia
