While it seemed things couldn't get worse for the St George Illawarra Dragons, the club has reportedly lost new recruit Corey Allan for the entirety of this season.
Signed from the Sydney Roosters to improve their back-line depth, it is understood by The Sydney Morning Herald that Allan is feared to have suffered a season-ending ACL rupture on Thursday, as he awaits scans.
It is believed that the club's medical staff fears that a full knee reconstruction is needed. However, the injury and severity is yet to be confirmed.
A former one-time Queensland State of Origin representative, Allan played at the Sydney Roosters in 2023 after making a surprise pre-season switch from the Canterbury Bulldogs.
He managed 12 games in Trent Robinson's set-up before being a confirmed departure during the club's end-of-season presentation night.
Able to play fullback, wing and centre, his versatility had the potential to add plenty to the Dragons and will undoubtedly be missed by the players and coaching staff.
The news comes within days of former teammate Ronald Volkman failing his medical test with the Dragons, with scans indicating he will require shoulder surgery,
As the Red V struggle to find luck, they still have a ton of salary cap space for this season and will likely find themselves trying to sign players on the outs of their club.
Recently they have been linked with the likes of Addin Fonua-Blake, Tom Dearden, Joey Manu, Jack Welsby, Heilum Luki and Kulikefu Finefeuiaki.
It is an unfortunate start for Shane Flanagan as the former premiership coach with the Cronulla Sharks begins his tenure with the Red V. Aiming to bring back success to the club, Allan's injury is just the latest issue.