The Canberra Raiders have suffered a massive pre-season injury blow with hooker Kurt Baptiste set to be ruled out for the majority of the 2017 season after rupturing his Achilles.
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Baptiste had surgery on Thursday to repair the damage and will be assessed in the coming days to determine a timeframe for his comeback.
It comes a month after Baptiste finalised a two-year contract extension to stay in the capital as the back up to England international Josh Hodgson.
The door is now open for Adam Clydesdale to cement the role to work in tandem with Hodgson, while Super League recruit Jordan Turner could offer a versatile option.
Hodgson can play 80 minutes, but if he gets injured it would test the Raiders' depth.
It is unclear how long it will take for Baptiste to get back on the field, but cross-code superstar Sonny Bill Williams was ruled out for nine months when he injured his Achilles at the Olympic Games.
If Baptiste faces a similar recovery period, he will not be available for the Raiders until the start of the NRL finals in September.
The time period means it's unlikely he would play in 2017 at all given the seriousness of the injury.
However, Baptiste could be given good news by surgeons in the coming days if the damage is not as bad as first thought.
