Clint Gutherson, the fullback for the St George Illawarra Dragons, will not participate in the upcoming match against the Wests Tigers this Sunday.
In a surprising move, Coach Dean Young has mentioned Daniel Atkinson as a potential replacement for Gutherson in the one jersey.
Another option for the Dragons could be Tyrell Sloan, who has significant experience playing fullback earlier in his career.
When questioned about Gutherson's injury status, Young stated to the Sydney Morning Herald, "It's a weird one. I can't tell you much, to be honest, because he got through the game fine."
He further elaborated, "We played Sunday, had two days off, and then Wednesday he was just sore in the normal spot. So, we're going to have to send him for an MRI scan and see what's going on."
Young also mentioned the efforts of the team's physio, saying, "Just in the (knee) joint there. The physio has been working around the clock, and we thought he'd be a big chance because against Cronulla, the first time we played them, he had a torn calf from the Broncos game, didn't train all week, went out, and played 80 minutes."
He added, "So, you never back 'Gutho' out. But he was a bit quieter the last couple of days than he normally is. He tried to warm up, and if he warmed up, that was going to be enough for me to play him because I've seen him do it before. But he's no good."
While Atkinson has mainly played in the halves, his versatility allows him to operate effectively within the backline, having played center at the end of the 2024 season with the Sharks.