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Soliola's NRL career at Raiders in doubt

3 minute read

Canberra forward Iosaia Soliola is set to undergo facial fracture surgery that will rule him out for up to 16 weeks.

Raiders coach RICKY STUART.
Raiders coach RICKY STUART. Picture: Stefan Postles/Getty Images

Canberra veteran Iosaia Soliola may have played his final game for the NRL club after confirmation he could miss up to 16 weeks with a facial fracture.

The Raiders on Tuesday announced Soliola would undergo surgery this week, while Emre Guler could also be out for up to 10 weeks with a fractured ankle.

The injuries are a hammer blow to coach Ricky Stuart, who is already without forwards Corey Horsburgh (foot) and John Bateman (shoulder) indefinitely.

Canberra had already begun reaching out to rival clubs last week in search of a loan deal due to their crisis in the forward pack.

The 33-year-old Soliola is in his final year with the club, raising questions over whether he has made his final appearance in the lime green.

"Sia Soliola will have surgery for his facial fractures this week and is also expected to spend significant time on the sideline with an estimated 12-16 week recovery period," the Raiders said on Tuesday.

With 11 games left in the regular season, Soliola's best-case scenario would be to recover in time for a possible return during the finals.

Canberra are currently sixth on the competition table.

Dunamis Lui is expected to be rushed into the Raiders line-up for Saturday's crunch clash with Melbourne at GIO Stadium.

Development player Kai O'Donnell, who was named in an extended squad last week, is also likely to come into calculations to make his first-grade debut.

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