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Penrith’s 2021 campaign has been dealt a significant blow, with star hooker Api Koroisau breaking his wrist just one week into the season.
The crafty dummy-half has undergone surgery on the wrist and is expected to miss at least six weeks of football, including Saturday’s clash against the Bulldogs.
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Koroisau’s injury forced him from the field midway through Penrith’s win over the Cowboys last week. Scans later confirmed the severity of the injury.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary waited until just hours before his side’s round two clash with the Bulldogs to rule Koroisau out of the team. Mitch Kenny is expected to line up in his place, having filled in for the Fijian international on three occasions last year.
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Koroisau enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career in 2020, helping guide the Panthers to 17 straight wins and a grand final berth. He was heralded one of the buys of the season, with some counting him unlucky to have missed out on a State of Origin jersey.
Koroisau brought much-needed big-game experience to the young Panthers outfit last year, so the Panthers will likely miss his composure in upcoming fixtures against competition heavyweights Melbourne and Canberra.
Speaking to the media this week, Cleary said his side would not adjust its game plan against the Bulldogs on Saturday, who are now coached by former Penrith assistant, Trent Barrett.
“I think we’re both probably familiar with each other,” Cleary said of his former colleague.
“It’s going to be a pretty simple game, I don’t think there’s going to be too many trick shots out there. If there then we feel like we’ll be prepared for them as well”.
The Bulldogs will look to make amends for their round one loss against Newcastle, while last year’s runners-up will be keen to continue their winning ways in a bid to go one step further in 2021.
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