HYMEL Hunt will miss at least the opening month of the Newcastle Knights' NRL campaign with a knee injury.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
In a further blow, promising English teenager Bailey Hodgson is facing up to three months on the sideline after having surgery on Tuesday night to repair a fractured elbow.
Both suffered injuries in the bruising 16-all trial draw with Canterbury at McDonald Jones Stadium on Monday night.
Hunt has been the Knights "Mr Reliable" since joining the club from South Sydney in 2019. Comfortable at centre or wing, he scored four tries in 17 appearances last season.
He replaced Enari Tuala early against the Bulldogs but is understood to have suffered a high grade posterior cruciate ligament strain in his right knee.
Tuala will start on the right wing when the Knights finalise preparations for round one with a hit-out against Melbourne in Ballarat on Saturday night.
The news is worse for Hodgson. The 19-year-old went under the knife on Tuesday night after getting his arm caught in an awkward spot in the second half.
The setback continues a horror run for the fullback, who is considered a star of the future. Hodgson sat out the first half of 2021 after having pre-season surgery to repair a patella injury.
Knights coach Adam O'Brien has made one change to side which led the Bulldogs 16-10 at half-time before introduction of fringe players.
Lachlan Fitzgibbon, after starting on the bench against the Dogs, will line up on the left edge instead of Jirah Momoisea. Mitch Barnett comes onto the bench after missing Monday night's game.
Knights: 1 Kalyn Ponga, (c), 2 Enari Tuala, 3 Dane Gagai, 4 Bradman Best, 5 Dominic Young, 6 Jake Clifford, 7 Adam Clune, 8 David Klemmer, 9 Chris Randall, 10 Daniel Saifiti, 11 Tyson Frizell, 12 Lachlan Fitzgibbon, 13 Kurt Mann. Interchange: 14 Phoenix Crossland, 15 Jacob Saifiti, 16 Mitch Barnett, 17 Jirah Momoisea. Extended Bench: 18. Tex Hoy, 19 Dylan Lucas, 20 Matt Croker, 21 Leo Thompson, 22 McKenzie Baker, 23 Chris Vea'ila, 24 Brayden Musgrove, 25 Liam Wilkinson, 26 Jaron Purcell 27 Ben Talty
IN THE NEWS:
- Merewether's Beach Hotel on market after customer 'boycott'
- 'Doctors are crying out': Newcastle centre helping cancer patients facing closure
- Chicken industry in peril as Baiada weighs Beresfield closure
- Opposed sides allege 'nonsensical' interpretations in port competition case
- Council calls for assurance about Eraring closure
- What led to Ewan Sams' tragic death in a backyard at Cessnock
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark: newcastleherald.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
James Gardiner
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
