The Dolphins have officially announced that aggressive forward Tom Gilbert is facing a minor throat injury, which will prevent him from participating in this weekend's match against the New Zealand Warriors.
This injury occurred during last weekend's victory over the Wests Tigers at Campbelltown Sports Stadium, marking the Dolphins' impressive seventh straight win.
In that game, Gilbert put forth a solid performance, playing 42 minutes without apparent signs of injury. He carried the ball nine times for 86 meters, made a tackle break, and completed 36 tackles with only one missed.
However, the team has now stated that he will need to consult a specialist regarding his minor throat injury before any timeline for his return can be established.
Currently, the club has indicated that he will be out "indefinitely."
The Dolphins have recently surged into the top four, although Gilbert's season has been somewhat inconsistent, as the team pursues its first finals appearance.
This year, Gilbert has played in 11 matches; however, after starting in the initial weeks at either prop or lock, he has been relegated to the bench since Round 9.
Due to this shift, his playing time has significantly decreased, with the match against the Tigers being his first chance to exceed 40 minutes since returning to the bench.
Earlier in the year, many experts considered him a likely candidate for the Queensland State of Origin team, but his reduced playing time and performance have seemingly made him less visible to coach Billy Slater.
