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Via Telegraph Sport Dean Ritchie and Brent Reed
Canterbury flyer Josh Addo-Carr is targeting a “world record” return from
ankle surgery as he looks to come to the aid of the injury-ravaged Bulldogs and give himself a last-ditch shot at reclaiming the NSW jersey that was cruelly taken from him last year.
Addo-Carr’s quest to get back on the field came as Bulldogs general manager of football Phil Gould said his club couldn’t afford to sulk over the’ shocking injury toll that has left upwards of $4 million worth of talent on the sideline.
The Bulldogs’ injury crisis worsened on Monday with revelations winger Jacob Kiraz will miss three matches after injuring his knee against Parramatta on Sunday, while concerns remain over centre Jake Averillo, who sustained a left knee prepatellar bursitis and partial tear.
Forward Andrew Davey injured a finger against the Eels and also faces a stint out of the game. They join a burgeoning casualty ward that already includes Addo-Carr (ankle), Viliame Kikau (pectoral), Braidon Burns (ankle), Fa’amanu Brown (elbow), Luke Thompson (foot), Franklin Pele (arm), Chris Patolo (knee) and Bailey Biondi-Odo (ACL).
Addo-Carr underwent tightrope surgery on his ankle last week and is already ahead of schedule in his recovery, fueling his desire to be back on the field by mid-May. That would give him a game or two to press his claims for a Blues recall, although he insists his priority is to help the embattled ‘Dogs.
“Everyone says it is an eight-week recovery but I will come back in five (weeks) bro,” Addo-Carr said.
“I am leaving it to the universe. To be honest with you I want to break the world record and come back the quickest. I think I am already ahead of schedule because I am walking around.”
Asked whether Origin I on May 31 was on his mind, Addo-Carr said: “It is always on your radar bro. It (Origin) is something every player wants to be part of but I just want to get back playing for the Bulldogs to be honest with you.
“It’s the longest I have ever been out so it is all new to me.”
Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo conceded Addo-Carr was doing everything in his power to return.
“Foxx is doing everything possible and our medical team is really good,” Ciraldo said.
“Our high-performance team is doing a great job with all our injured guys. Whether Foxx makes it back in four weeks or five weeks, I’m not quite sure right now but he’s ticking every box right now that he possibly can.”
Ciraldo is only in the early stages of his coaching career yet it is hard to believe he will confront a more dire injury crisis from here on.
And Canterbury’s fortunes don’t essentially improve this Saturday when matched against in-form Cronulla at Accor Stadium.
“Coaches coach the healthy ones,” Gould said.
“Medics fix the broken ones. (Some) kids will get a shot at the NRL. It is what it is.”
Asked if he could recall a worse injury toll, Gould said: “There’s probably been a few times. I can’t readily remember.”
Ciraldo will select his patched-up side to play the Sharks, likely to include some rookies, at 4pm on Tuesday. Declan Casey, who was an unused 18th replacement against the Eels, could come into a Bulldogs backline missing both right-side outside backs in Kiraz and Averillo.
Jayden Okunbor, who featured on the wing against the Eels after training and playing as a forward off the bench this season, is another option.
With Burns’ foot issue a day-to-day proposition, the Bulldogs could turn to rookies Jeral Skelton or Joash Papalii, who have impressed as part of coach David Tangata-Toa’s league-leading NSW Cup team.
“This is the club of opportunity,” Bulldogs chairman said John Khoury.
“We’ve got aspiring under-21s in Jersey Flegg that want to be NRL players. Sometimes you ideally want to do that via reserve grade.
“But this might be an opportunity for a few kids but the coaches will make that call.
“We are having some bad luck. One of us must have walked under a ladder. It is what it is.
“With the new rules, and with the game getting faster, they may need to consider having an 18th man on the bench.”
Bulldogs legend Paul Langmack supported Gould by saying: “You can’t feel sorry for yourself. If you do that, you’ll keep going backwards.
“You’ve got to get on with life. You’ve got to keep going.
“We are showing a lot of resilience – we just have to hang in there. We have to stay positive and it will turn, maybe next week or maybe in three weeks.
“They’re not giving up. If they were giving up Parramatta would have put 60 points on us.
“In past seasons, they would have surrendered.
“Losing Addo-Carr is such a big loss because he’s such a positive person on the field.”
Canterbury flyer Josh Addo-Carr is targeting a “world record” return from
ankle surgery as he looks to come to the aid of the injury-ravaged Bulldogs and give himself a last-ditch shot at reclaiming the NSW jersey that was cruelly taken from him last year.
Addo-Carr’s quest to get back on the field came as Bulldogs general manager of football Phil Gould said his club couldn’t afford to sulk over the’ shocking injury toll that has left upwards of $4 million worth of talent on the sideline.
The Bulldogs’ injury crisis worsened on Monday with revelations winger Jacob Kiraz will miss three matches after injuring his knee against Parramatta on Sunday, while concerns remain over centre Jake Averillo, who sustained a left knee prepatellar bursitis and partial tear.
Forward Andrew Davey injured a finger against the Eels and also faces a stint out of the game. They join a burgeoning casualty ward that already includes Addo-Carr (ankle), Viliame Kikau (pectoral), Braidon Burns (ankle), Fa’amanu Brown (elbow), Luke Thompson (foot), Franklin Pele (arm), Chris Patolo (knee) and Bailey Biondi-Odo (ACL).
Addo-Carr underwent tightrope surgery on his ankle last week and is already ahead of schedule in his recovery, fueling his desire to be back on the field by mid-May. That would give him a game or two to press his claims for a Blues recall, although he insists his priority is to help the embattled ‘Dogs.
“Everyone says it is an eight-week recovery but I will come back in five (weeks) bro,” Addo-Carr said.
“I am leaving it to the universe. To be honest with you I want to break the world record and come back the quickest. I think I am already ahead of schedule because I am walking around.”
Asked whether Origin I on May 31 was on his mind, Addo-Carr said: “It is always on your radar bro. It (Origin) is something every player wants to be part of but I just want to get back playing for the Bulldogs to be honest with you.
“It’s the longest I have ever been out so it is all new to me.”
Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo conceded Addo-Carr was doing everything in his power to return.
“Foxx is doing everything possible and our medical team is really good,” Ciraldo said.
“Our high-performance team is doing a great job with all our injured guys. Whether Foxx makes it back in four weeks or five weeks, I’m not quite sure right now but he’s ticking every box right now that he possibly can.”
Ciraldo is only in the early stages of his coaching career yet it is hard to believe he will confront a more dire injury crisis from here on.
And Canterbury’s fortunes don’t essentially improve this Saturday when matched against in-form Cronulla at Accor Stadium.
“Coaches coach the healthy ones,” Gould said.
“Medics fix the broken ones. (Some) kids will get a shot at the NRL. It is what it is.”
Asked if he could recall a worse injury toll, Gould said: “There’s probably been a few times. I can’t readily remember.”
Ciraldo will select his patched-up side to play the Sharks, likely to include some rookies, at 4pm on Tuesday. Declan Casey, who was an unused 18th replacement against the Eels, could come into a Bulldogs backline missing both right-side outside backs in Kiraz and Averillo.
Jayden Okunbor, who featured on the wing against the Eels after training and playing as a forward off the bench this season, is another option.
With Burns’ foot issue a day-to-day proposition, the Bulldogs could turn to rookies Jeral Skelton or Joash Papalii, who have impressed as part of coach David Tangata-Toa’s league-leading NSW Cup team.
“This is the club of opportunity,” Bulldogs chairman said John Khoury.
“We’ve got aspiring under-21s in Jersey Flegg that want to be NRL players. Sometimes you ideally want to do that via reserve grade.
“But this might be an opportunity for a few kids but the coaches will make that call.
“We are having some bad luck. One of us must have walked under a ladder. It is what it is.
“With the new rules, and with the game getting faster, they may need to consider having an 18th man on the bench.”
Bulldogs legend Paul Langmack supported Gould by saying: “You can’t feel sorry for yourself. If you do that, you’ll keep going backwards.
“You’ve got to get on with life. You’ve got to keep going.
“We are showing a lot of resilience – we just have to hang in there. We have to stay positive and it will turn, maybe next week or maybe in three weeks.
“They’re not giving up. If they were giving up Parramatta would have put 60 points on us.
“In past seasons, they would have surrendered.
“Losing Addo-Carr is such a big loss because he’s such a positive person on the field.”
