Daniel Tupou

Dragons, Roosters to both lose winger after injuries

Two players were injured during the traditional clash.

Published by
Scott Pryde

The St George Illawarra Dragons and Sydney Roosters will both need to find replacements on the wing next weekend, with Daniel Tupou and Tautau Moga both set to be ruled out.

The Dragons lost Moga in the process of scoring his third try of the afternoon, with an AC joint popping out revealed as the issue.

“He (Moga) is in a bit of trouble because they think it popped out or protruded,” Dragons' head coach Anthony Griffin said during his post-game press conference.

“He's in a bit of pain.”

Moga, who was a star of the show for the Dragons during their comeback to tie the Anzac Day game at 26 points a piece, has been filling the spot of Mikaele Ravalawa in recent weeks.

Last week, the Dragons provided a medical update that suggested Ravalawa is due back in Magic Round, meaning there will be a week to fill the gap - with Max Feagai likely to push out to the wing and join brother Mat in the first-grade side.

New South Wales State of Origin candidate Tupou could find himself racing the clock for selection in Game 1 of the series after suffering a hamstring injury.

He was taken from the field in the 56th minute, and while he was able to walk off, it appears the damage could rule him out for some weeks - although he will need scans to confirm the extent of the damage.

“I don't think it's great with that hammy. It looked like the sniper in the crowd,” Sydney Roosters' head coach Trent Robinson said in his own press conference.

“He hasn't had one of those before so it doesn't feel great at the moment.”

It's unclear which way the Roosters will look for a replacement, although Corey Allan is the likely figure to join the 17 - whether that means into the starting side with Drew Hutchison remaining on the bench, or Allan playing from the bench, remains to be seen.

Robinson and Griffin will both name their teams on Wednesday, but less than 24 hours after a physical encounter on Tuesday, late changes could be made for both sides in the lead up to their Round 9 games, which will see the Roosters face the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland, and the Dragons play the Canterbury Bulldogs in Wollongong. All of the Dragons, Warriors and Roosters will play off a five-day turnaround.

Published by
Scott Pryde