New Zealand winger Jordan Rapana will only return mid-way through the NRL season in 2019 after having surgery on a shoulder injury sustained in their second Test against England.
Rapana, who turns out for Canberra Raiders in the NRL, is expected to return between round 11 and 14 of the competition down under.
Under a new system brought into place earlier this year, clubs can receive a salary cap exemption for the pro-rata value of an injured player’s contract, up to a maximum of A$350,000, but only in cases in which the injured player misses at least 12 NRL games.
Meanwhile, Raiders captain Jarrod Croker has returned to light training after injury curtailed his season in 2018.
