LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
The Canterbury Bulldogs are anxiously awaiting news on captain Stephen Crichton's availability for the remainder of the 2025 NRL Finals series as he is set to undergo medical scans.
Crichton left the stadium in a moon boot and on crutches after sustaining an ankle injury in the first 20 minutes of the match and did not return to play.
Coach Cameron Ciraldo indicated that the injury is likely syndesmosis-related, and the upcoming scans will reveal the severity. However, Crichton is expected to be unavailable for the second week of finals against either the New Zealand Warriors or the Penrith Panthers.
As he faces a challenging recovery timeline, the likelihood of him playing again this season appears slim. NRL Physio has suggested a minimum recovery period of three weeks, causing significant concern for the Bulldogs as the finals progress.
"It's hard to know now without getting scans, but when you can't finish a game, it's not looking great," Ciraldo stated in his post-match comments.
"That was a brutal game and we have to recover physically and emotionally and get ourselves ready to go next week."