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Canberra Raiders will be without star second-rower John Bateman for the opening two months of the NRL season after he underwent shoulder surgery.

Canberra star John Bateman could be sidelined for the opening eight weeks of the NRL season after undergoing shoulder surgery earlier this month.

In a huge blow for the 2019 grand finalists, the English international went under the knife to repair an ongoing shoulder issue and is not expected to return to the field until round seven or eight.

After a heavy schedule of 26 NRL games and a Great Britain Lions tour at the end of the year, Bateman returned to the Raiders with hopes he could manage the shoulder in 2020 without surgery.

However, the option was taken to undergo the procedure to minimise the risk he would need surgery later in the year.

It's understood Bateman has previously had the same procedure on his other shoulder and has not had further problems with it.

The 26-year-old had a breakout season with the Raiders last year and quickly became one of their most important players.

Last season was his first in the NRL and finished with him being named second-rower of the year at the Dally M Awards.

The Raiders will be sweating on his return after losing each of the three games he missed in 2019.

However, there is every chance he could make an early return given he missed just three rounds with a fractured eye socket in 2019, returning in half of the usual recovery time.

Rising second-rower Hudson Young filled in as Bateman's replacement last season, but will be suspended for the first five rounds of 2020 for an alleged eye gouge in September.

He has already served three weeks, missing the 2019 NRL finals series.

Coach Ricky Stuart will be forced to reshuffle his pack without Bateman and Young, with Joseph Tapine, Ryan Sutton and Corey Horsburgh among those who can fill in.

The Raiders will play Canterbury in an NRL trial in Port Macquarie this weekend and will open their season at home to Gold Coast on Friday March 13.