The St George Illawarra Dragons have been left with three players holding questions marks for Round 1 following Zac Lomax going off with a "hip tickle" during Saturday's Charity Shield victory over the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Mudgee.
In a clash the Dragons won - taking home their first Charity Shield since 2012 (although 2015's edition was drawn) - it was only a single injury issue which worried the club, however, added to two pre-existing ones.
Lomax, who set up Mikaele Ravalawa for an incredible try towards the end of the first half, was taken from the field with a hip complaint shortly before the main break at a packed Glen Willow Regional Sports Complex.
NO WAY ๐จ
This was SPECIAL from Zac Lomax! pic.twitter.com/223LfteJkr
— NRL (@NRL) February 26, 2022
He was seen shortly after the break sitting on the bench with an enormous ice pack on his hip.
Speaking to the media following fulltime however, coach Anthony Griffin said it was just a hip tickle and that he expected him to be fit for Round 1.
However, he isn't the only Dragon facing an at best disrupted final few weeks of the pre-season, although it could well end up being that Round 1 is too tough a task.
Tariq Sims has been revealed to have a calf problem, while Moses Mbye did a quad injury in last week's trial against the Parramatta Eels and is also racing the clock.
โHe [Lomax] had a little tickle in his hip, so we got him out of there and played it safe,โ Griffin said.
โTariq [Sims] has the calf, that old manโs disease, he looked right Monday, but by Wednesday they thought he had another nick in there, which he did. Hopefully, heโs ready for round one, along with [Moses] Mbye [quad injury].โ
Should the trio miss the opening game of the season - which the Dragons will play against the New Zealand Warriors at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday, March 12. - they would join suspended duo Josh McGuire and Tyrell Fuimaono on the sidelines.
Both players are due back in Round 6, with McGuire slapped with a five-week suspension in the final round of the 2021 season, while Fuimaono was hit with his own five-week ban out of last week's trial against Parramatta for a hip drop tackle which ended Haze Dunster's season.
It could mean the Dragons have five players missing the opening week, with all five in contention for spots. The Dragons play the Warriors (away), Panthers (home), Sharks (home), Eels (away) and Rabbitohs (away) in the opening five weeks in what will serve as a difficult start to the season.
The club, who have been widely backed as in contention for the wooden spoon, surprised during the charity shield with a victory over last year's grand finalists.
