The Canterbury Bulldogs face a significant setback ahead of their Friday night clash with the Knights, as Viliame Kikau is set to be out for up to six weeks due to a “nasty” injury.
Kikau sustained a compound fracture to his ring finger during the Bulldogs’ 44-12 victory over the Dragons last week and is scheduled for surgery on Monday morning.
Ranked sixth on the Dally M leaderboard, Kikau has been a key player on the Bulldogs’ left edge, significantly contributing to their push for finals contention.
Canterbury general manager Phil Gould announced the news on X, stating that Kikau will undergo surgery to repair the injury, with a recovery time of four to six weeks depending on the outcome of the procedure.
Possible replacements for Kikau in the starting lineup include Jacob Preston and Josh Curran, though the Bulldogs have yet to decide who will move to the opposite edge to Jaeman Salmon.
Kikau has played all 11 games for the Bulldogs this year, recording seven line breaks, 18 offloads, and averaging 115 meters per game.
The Bulldogs, currently 10th on the premiership ladder, will also be without skipper Stephen Crichton and five-eighth Matt Burton for Friday’s match, as both are in the NSW Origin camp.
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