Canberra star John Bateman could be sidelined for the opening eight weeks of the NRL season after undergoing shoulder surgery earlier this month.
In a huge blow for the 2019 grand finalists, the English international went under the knife to repair an ongoing shoulder issue and is not expected to return to the field until round seven or eight.
After a heavy schedule of 26 NRL games and a Great Britain Lions tour at the end of the year, Bateman returned to the Raiders with hopes he could manage the shoulder in 2020 without surgery.
However, the option was taken to undergo the procedure to minimise the risk he would need surgery later in the year.
It’s understood Bateman has previously had the same procedure on his other shoulder and has not had further problems with it.
The 26-year-old had a breakout season with the Raiders last year and quickly became one of their most important players.
Last season was his first in the NRL and finished with him being named second-rower of the year at the Dally M Awards.
The Raiders will be sweating on his return after losing each of the three games he missed in 2019.
However, there is every chance he could make an early return given he missed just three rounds with a fractured eye socket in 2019, returning in half of the usual recovery time.
Rising second-rower Hudson Young filled in as Bateman’s replacement last season, but will be suspended for the first five rounds of 2020 for an alleged eye gouge in September.
He has already served three weeks, missing the 2019 NRL finals series.
Coach Ricky Stuart will be forced to reshuffle his pack without Bateman and Young, with Joseph Tapine, Ryan Sutton and Corey Horsburgh among those who can fill in.
The Raiders will play Canterbury in an NRL trial in Port Macquarie this weekend and will open their season at home to Gold Coast on Friday March 13.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
I'm a bit concerned by some of the comments I've seen from Raiders players in the media that they haven't even watched the GF replay - and the constant feedback that they kept getting told by supporters that they were robbed with the 6 to go decision. They can't just assume they will turn up this year and make amends. There is a lot of hard work involved to even get there. I think they need to go back and watch the GF replay over and over again to see where it went wrong - why they couldn't score when they had all the momentum. To be fair the Roosters defended very well but it is concerning that the Raiders couldn't break their line with the glut of possession they had. And I hope they revisit their slack defence that let in the first try. But the 6 again decision certainly hurt the raiders as the structure of the side was all over the place when the Roosters put the ball through Latrell, Tupou and Tedesco to score. Sezer was defending on the wing if I recall. Despite that the Raiders had plenty of opportunity earlier in the game to score but the Roosters defence was too good and the Raiders attack just wasn't good enough.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Deathrider!
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
I'm a glass half full kind a guy - got to keep positive
mushi
Roar Guru
Did he get an upgrade though When I search I just get the pre GF outrage. For the lime green though I hope they've spent the offseason thinking they were a next tier bottom of top 4 rather than inches from the premiership.
Insider
Roar Rookie
Hope your right Geoff I want a Raiders Manly final
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
I've had a look at the last few rounds in 18 and it was Williams and Austin in the halves and Abbey at fullback with Hodgo at hooker. The Raiders hit the ground running in 19 with only Hodgo remaining in the spine. No need for time for combinations to form, it's a long standing myth.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Wouldn't call the halves raw. Wighton's played 156 NRL games and George Williams 173 ESL games. True they haven't played together as yet but I'm expecting big things from both of them. Will be interesting to see how the Raiders cover for J Bateman and Leipana in the first two months. To be fair BJ and Rapana were relatively quiet in 2019 - mainly due to injury - and the Raiders made it to the GF. Yes - Hudson Young has done a couple of dumb things - but he can play footy. I think he'll surprise a few people when he returns. This is a chance for Horsburgh to step up to the starting side. Can see him playing Origin for Qld this year. I suspect the Raiders may win a few and lose a few in the first half of the season and come home with a wet sail in the second half.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
New combinations often click straight away, the Storm haven't lost in the 1st round for 7 years or so and have often fielded new combinations. Plenty of other examples. Raiders had a new 5/8 and fullback in 19 and I can't remember how they went early on but I can't recall them struggling too much.
Adam
Roar Guru
Up to the second knuckle and everything...
Ben Lewis
Roar Pro
I completely understand the need for positive and ethical journalism, but it's a pretty big cop-out to describe Hudson Young's conduct as an "alleged" eye gouge. He was found guilty, suspended for eight weeks, and the video footage is crystal clear. It was as blatant as John Hopoate's finger poke, in need of a better term.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
The bad news is they’ve lost their best player. The good news is it gives tough guy with the offload Corey Horsburgh the chance to be the new king of the pack and step up into the Toads rotation.
Insider
Roar Rookie
Not Bateman, Laypanna and raw halves makes for a tough year ahead,
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
I think he'd been carrying a shoulder injury for the last few weeks of the 2019 season and hoped it would get better with rest but it hasn't.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Good point. The club let BJ go so they would have a bit of cash to upgrade retain players. Still not sure if that was the right decision but they can't let talent like J Bateman walk.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Didn't see that coming. All the talk was he'd be right for round one. Makes you wonder why Bateman and the club waited so long to do the shoulder operation. If they'd done it earlier he would have missed less weeks. Guess they were hoping his shoulder would heal but at some point had to make the decision to operate. His energy will be sadly missed. George Williams has been nursing a quad injury also during the preseason. And with the Curtis Scott situation unresolved and Sezer, BJ and Rapana all gone the Raiders look a bit unsettled for the start of the season. Hope I'm wrong but it may take a while for new combinations to click. On the positive size I'm expecting Wighton and CNK to have big years.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Raiders are gone!!! Do we still need to call it an “alleged” eye gouge when there’s footage of Young second knuckle deep and he’s been found guilty?
KenW
Guest
I'd imagine that it was always a bit iffy but they thought they could manage it. Once they get to trials, where the contact isn't so controlled, it must have become obvious they couldn't. Better to do it now and miss the start of the season than do it later and miss the end.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Wow That's terrible news. The guy is just such a breath of fresh air , the way he plays the game. Hopefully the Raiders can start well enough without him.
Nat
Roar Guru
That's horrible news. Was it a training accident? How do we get 2 weeks out from the start of the season and this comes up now?
mushi
Roar Guru
Whatever happened to his contract negotiations?