The St George Illawarra Dragons have announced that fringe first-grade forward Loko Pasifiki Tonga has been cleared of any serious injuries.
This comes after he was taken to the hospital for precautionary scans on his neck due to a training incident on Thursday.
Photos emerged around midday, depicting a player being placed into an ambulance on a spinal board, while the rest of the Dragons' squad looked on in concern.
Initially, the individual in the photo could not be identified.
However, the Dragons later confirmed it was Lok Pasifiki Tonga, providing an update in the afternoon stating he had returned to the care of the team's medical staff.
Scans showed no major injuries, bringing relief to both the team and fans.
"The Dragons can confirm that following scans, Loko Pasifiki Tonga has been cleared of any major neck injury concerns and returned to the Dragons training facility this afternoon," the club stated.
"He will be monitored by the medical staff over the coming days before a determination is made on his availability to play this weekend."
Since his debut in 2025, Tonga has been recognized as one of the promising young forwards in the sport.
However, he has not been included in the Dragons' starting lineup for the first games of the season, leading to speculation about his future with the club.
The forward reportedly feels frustrated by the lack of first-grade opportunities.
This season, he has been playing in reserve grade, where he logged 41 minutes against the Bulldogs, gaining 96 metres, and scoring a try in a decisive win against the Melbourne Storm in Round 2.