The Canterbury Bulldogs’ already grim NRL season has taken another devastating turn, after their star starting forward Jacob Preston suffered a broken forearm in the opening minutes of their highly anticipated Friday clash against the Melbourne Storm, effectively dashing the club’s hopes of ending a five-match losing skid. Preston was forced to leave the pitch just 12 minutes into the first half of the game, after sustaining the injury that the club confirmed will rule him out of action for a minimum of several weeks. This latest setback comes at a brutal time for the Bulldogs, who have plummeted down the competition ladder after a shocking upset win over the premiers Panthers earlier in the season. The club has already been missing key forward Viliame Kikau for an extended period, after he suffered a season-disrupting torn pectoral muscle. With the State of Origin series approaching, which will pull top representative talent away from their NRL clubs, Canterbury’s recruitment and coaching staff now face an urgent scramble to find a replacement edge forward to fill the gap left by Preston’s injury. The Storm, who entered the match as clear favorites, were not immune to injury trouble of their own on Friday: starting winger Will Warbrick was pulled from the game midway through the first half after complaining of a rib injury. At the time of Warbrick’s exit, Melbourne held a comfortable 18-6 lead over the Bulldogs on the road.
Injury carnage: Bulldogs lose superstar forward to broken arm, Storm winger forced off with rib issue
