Canberra‘s backline has been dealt a blow just two months out from the opening round of the club’s NRL campaign, with young gun Harley Smith-Shields suffering a season-ending ACL injury.
The Raiders revealed the 22-year-old, who can play on a wing and in the centres, had succumbed to the injury during a training session yesterday.
“He will meet with a surgeon to determine a date for surgery and begin his rehabilitation post-surgery,” a club statement reads.
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During the pre-season, Smith-Shields had been facing competition for spots from Jordan Rapana, Jarrod Croker, Matthew Timoko, Sebastian Kris, Semi Valemai and Nic Cotric, who returned from the Bulldogs after last season.
Smith-Shields was the Raiders’ left winger late in the 2021 season as Bailey Simonssen, who’s now at the Eels, took the other flank.
Smith-Shields has played nine NRL games since making his debut in 2020.
The speedster has bagged four tries from nine top-grade appearances.
The Raiders will begin their 2022 NRL campaign in a clash with the Sharks in Canberra on March 11.