Broncos centre Dale Copley will be sidelined for at least six weeks after suffering a throat injury, while Eels veteran Michael Oldfield is set to miss the opening month of the season following an MCL sprain.
Brisbane announced Copley has sustained a small fracture and dislocated cartilage to his throat after undergoing a laryngoscopy.
It is understood that Copley sustained the injury during the cub's trial match against Wynnum Manly last Friday.
Andrew Croll, Broncos head of performance, revealed Copley will be sidelined for the next week before knowing if further surgery is required.
“Dale must rest from all exercise for at least a week and will have another laryngoscopy to determine if he needs surgery," he said.
“He will need at least 6 weeks out of contact, and we will have to see how it settles to determine on when he can return to low intensity exercise.”
Oldfield is set to remain on the sidelines until close to Round 4 of the NRL season after sustaining a knee injury during the Eels' trial match against St George Illawarra on Thursday.
Parramatta revealed the 30-year-old suffered the MCL sprain and will join teammate Bryce Cartwright on the sidelines for an extended period of time, who is looking to return from a fractured jaw.
The setbacks place both Copley and Oldfield facing delays to their new tenures, with Copley returning to Red Hill for the first time since 2015, while Oldfield joined the Eels from Canberra for the 2021 season.