Canberra will be without Shaun Fensom, David Shillington and Kurt Baptiste for the rest of the 2014 NRL season after the trio suffered season-ending injuries against the Warriors on Sunday.
Fensom ruptured the ACL in his right knee and will undergo surgery this week, with a recovery time of between six to nine months predicted.
Shillington tore his right pectoral muscle and while it has not been decided yet whether he will have surgery, the Raiders say he will not play again this season.
Baptiste will also meet a surgeon this week to determine whether he needs an operation on an injured left shoulder, but nonetheless he also won’t be seen in Canberra colours again until the 2015 season.
The Raiders will also be without captain Terry Campese for at least a week after he sustained a minor strain to his external oblique.
Meanwhile, in some good news for Canberra, the club have signed two players from the English Super League that CEO Don Furner says “will be invaluable for our squad.”
Hull KR hooker Josh Hodgson has agreed to a two-year deal from 2015 while former New Zealand international Iosia Soliola has also signed a two-year contract from St Helens.
The 24-year-old Hodgson has played more than 100 Super League matches.
Soliola made his debut for the Sydney Roosters in 2005, playing 92 matches for the club before signing with St Helens in 2010.
The 27-year-old utility has 11 Test caps for the Kiwis and also made four appearances for Samoa at the World Cup in 2013.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
A big problem in trying to entice big pay day sponsors is that they get so few FTA television games for the sponsor to want to be involved with the club. Teams like Brisbane, Manly, Easts and the Dragons have many sponsors because their names are splashed across the living room week after week,
Harry Easton
Roar Rookie
Raiders in desperate need of some good news on the player front, haven't had any for a while. Their stars either leave them (Milford) or get sacked for ill-discipline (Carney, Dugan). The club struggles to entice major sponsors and great players, Stuart's signing was meant to solve this issue, but we are failing to see this. Waqa and the two Super League players will not solve raider's issues, they need to undergo an overhaul like the Panthers did a few years back if they want to start challenging for a place in top 8.
Parrafan
Guest
Lol Parra are still waiting on Ricky's star ESL recruit Hock haha. Mossop turned out really well too. Really feel sorry for some of the young blokes at the Raiders, it must be tough when your captain really doesn't care anymore.
patty
Guest
And they meet jarryd hayne this weekend in the form of his life. He's going to put on a show for the people of Darwin
BrumbyJack
Guest
Can Furner actually announce some positive news? Rather than claim two good signings in an English hooker nobody has ever heard of and s centre that left the game over 3 years ago, why can't he just bite the bullet and say WE MADE A HUGE MISTAKE IN BELIEVING J FORDHAM WHEN HE PROMISED US RICKY COULD STILL COACH. WE ARE EXTREMELY APOLOGETIC TO OUR FANS AND PLAYERS FOR SPENDING IN EXCESS OF $800K A YEAR ON A HOAX. MYSELF AND THE REST OF THE INCOMPETENT BOARD WILL STAND DOWN IMMEDIATELY TO ALLOW SOME PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE TO THIS ONCE GREAT CLUB.
Andrew
Guest
"The Raiders will also be without captain Terry Campese for at least a week after he sustained a minor strain to his external oblique". I'm not a Raiders supporter, but, Terry should cut is losses and retire. He's had a lot serious injuries & his half the players he was! Ricky is bad coach these days anyway, mind you, Ricky should retire also.