By Matthew Sullivan

Copyright news

The Bulldogs are the walking wounded after copping a spate of injuries during their qualifying final loss to Melbourne, with coach Cameron Ciraldo facing a tough task to field a squad of 17 for the game against the Panthers.

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Stephen Crichton has been ruled out for the season with a syndesmosis (lower leg) injury, and playmaker Toby Sexton is battling a sternum injury and is in some doubt for this weekend’s semi-final.

Kikau copped an elbow to his right eye in Canterbury’s 26-18 loss to the Storm, but the second-rower played on with his face looking worse for wear from the contact.

As the injuries pile up for the Bulldogs, Kikau is believed to be refusing to undergo scans despite fears he has suffered a fractured eye socket.

The Daily Telegraph’s Dave Riccio told Triple M on Monday: “This is Viliame Kikau down to a tee.

“He’s refusing to get scanned. He says, ‘I don’t want to get scanned. I don’t care what it is, it doesn’t matter, I’ve got to play.”

Former Bulldogs hardman James Graham said: “God you’ve got to love that. That’s just brilliant, ‘See ya later doc. I ain’t going. “I don’t need to know what it is, I’m playing’.”

Sharks premiership winner Wade Graham said: “I love that. Sometimes you can get scans to find out what the issue is, but whatever the scan shows, if you’re good enough to play, what’s the point of the scan?

“If you’re good enough to train and play, who cares?

“That is our game to a tee. It’s not designed for everyone. Not everyone is willing to do that. If you’re going to play, who cares if you’ve got a fracture in your face, what’s the point of diagnosing it? Yeah, it’s sore and probably going to get more sore during the game.”

Riccio added: “I think the health and safety of your employee is paramount, but it is a game of rugby league.”

Graham said: “It’s his decision and you take responsibility for that decision.”

“That’s a real interesting one because with eye socket fractures there’s risk for vision with certain fractures,” NRL Physio Brien Seeney said on his Magic Sponge podcast.

“I would say they are getting scans on it, but as we’ve seen Keaon Koloamatangi, if the fracture is in the right spot…and there’s no double vision, guys can play through them.

“The Bulldogs think that Kikau has done this since round 27 — the game against the Sharks, they think he initially fractured it there and then copped another knock to it on the weekend in the exact same spot and it’s swelled up again.

“Off the back of everything I’m hearing, I think he’s going to play.”

The Bulldogs are facing an injury crisis, with centre Enari Tuala ruled out of the clash with Penrith after suffering a fractured fibula.

The Dogs are hopeful Marcelo Montoya can return from an ankle injury — there were initial fears of a syndesmosis injury but after scans showed it wasn’t as bad as first thought. He is now however in doubt after a second round of scans.

Riccio also reported a lack of radiologists over the weekend hampered the Dogs’ ability to understand their injury toll by 24-48 hours “due to a shortage of radiologists, who were at a conference”.

Riccio said on X the Bulldogs “can’t take a trick”.

In some good news, Bronson Xerri is due back from a head knock for the game against Penrith.

The Bulldogs are chasing their first finals win under Ciraldo after they were knocked out by Manly in last year’s elimination final and went down to Melbourne in week one of this year’s finals.

Injury carnage across NRL finals

Everywhere you looked there was injury carnage in the first week of the NRL finals series.

While Reece Walsh avoided suspension for his headbutt against the Raiders, the Broncos will be thankful for the week off before their preliminary final after copping several injury blows.

On Monday the Broncos confirmed utility Billy Walters had suffered a ruptured ACL in a cruel season ending blow.

Prop Payne Haas battled through what appeared to be a nasty ankle injury in Sunday’s 95-minute marathon win over the Raiders, while forward Brendan Piakura could be out for the season with a fractured cheekbone.

Halfback Adam Reynolds is expected to return from a hamstring strain when the Broncos take on the winner of the semi-final between Penrith and Canterbury.

Patrick Carrigan will miss the preliminary final after being copping a one-match ban for a grade two careless high tackle on Canberra’s Morgan Smithies.