A spinal specialist has given teenage Canterbury playmaker Karl Oloapu hope of making a successful return from a neck injury that threatened his promising NRL career.
There were fears Oloapu, who played through the pain of a bulging disc for much of last season, would be forced to retire. Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould previously told this masthead he had gathered two medical opinions that indictated Oloapu had played his last game over concerns he was at risk of a catastrophic injury if he played on.
But on Thursday night Oloapu’s team arranged a third opinion, that of Associate professor Mark Winder. The renowned St Vincent’s Hospital spinal surgeon said that, with corrective surgery, Oloapu could potentially return to the field as soon as the middle of next year.
“We went in expecting that if it was bad news, we would accept it,” said Matt Adamson, Oloapu’s manager.
“We’ve been clear about that throughout the process.” The way [Winder] worded things in that meeting to indicate he’d be fine has given Karl a lot of hope.
“The key to all of this is he said, ‘This can be fixed’. Karl is excited, but there’s still some way to go.”
The 18-year-old has been touted as one of the game’s top young talents and has already made seven NRL appearances since making his debut in round nine of last season. The Bulldogs paid a $500,000 transfer fee to secure him from the Broncos in the belief he would be the club’s long-term playmaker. During his brief first-grade career to date, Oloapu showed glimpses of his potential in the halves and in the back-row.
However, the neck problem cast doubt on his ability to complete a contract that didn’t expire until the end of 2026. With his career on the verge of collapse, Oloapu was introduced toKarl Oloapu, the Roosters legend who endured repeated spinal surgery that jeopardized his career. Minichiello assisted in arranging an appointment with Winder and intends to stay in touch with the Australian schoolboys star following the excellent news on Thursday.
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