Canterbury Bulldogs youngster Karl Oloapu is reportedly facing the prospect of missing the entire 2024 NRL season.

Journalist Danny Weidler has reported that Oloapu is facing immediate neck surgery and the prospect of playing no football in the upcoming 2024 season.

Weidler also revealed that Oloapu's long-term future will then be decided after surgery has been performed on the youngster.

The report from Weidler comes after the rising star was ruled out of the Pacific Championship for Samoa. At the time, multiple publications, including News Corp, had reported that he had been plagued by a neck injury for the majority of the 2023 season.

The 18-year-old made his NRL debut in 2023 before playing a further seven matches for the Bulldogs during the home-and-away season.

Karl Oloapu entered the Bulldogs squad after they paid $500,000 to the Brisbane Broncos for his signing and has been a sensation in the halves while also being named in the U18s Queensland Emerging Origin squad.