Over the next few weeks, Jacob Preston of the Canterbury Bulldogs will have to play without him as scans have revealed he has a hairline fracture to his jaw. The second-rower was hurt in a head collision in the second half of the Bulldogs’ close Good Friday loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Preston lay motionless on the ground for several seconds following the collision, and club medical personnel ultimately removed the forward from the field to check his head injury.
Preston had been on the ground, but the club only classified his symptoms as Grade 2, which allowed him to undergo a head injury evaluation and, if cleared, return to the field.
Though no such judgment was taken during Friday’s Rugby game, the NRL’s independent doctor in the bunker has the authority to override club medical staff and upgrade a concussion to Grade 1 symptoms.
This allowed Preston to get back on the pitch, but The Sydney Morning Herald has now uncovered that Preston actually played the rest of the game with a tiny fracture to his jaw.
Preston’s facial injuries was verified by scans on Saturday morning, and the news indicates that he will now miss at least three weeks of action for the blue and white.
Josh Addo-Carr will also miss the Sydney Roosters game next week due to a Grade 1 concussion that he suffered in a brutal collision with South Sydney fullback Latrell Mitchell just before halftime. The youngster is a boom.
In a cruel setback for the Bulldogs and the winger who just made a comeback from injury during the match against South Sydney, Addo-Carr will be subject to an 11-day enforced stand-down.
Preston will probably miss Round 6 against the Melbourne Storm away from home and Round 7 against the Newcastle Knights at home before getting another chance to play in Round 9 against the Wests Tigers following a bye.
