Riverina's Country Championships campaign has been dealt a big blow.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Bulls are on the hunt for a new five-eighth with star playmaker Nathan Rose set to miss the second round of the Country Championships on Saturday.
The Gundagai recruit played out their 22-16 win over Macarthur Wests Tigers in Camden on Sunday, including setting up new Tigers teammate Latrell Siegwalt to score the winning try, but picked up an AC joint issue.
Coach James Luff does not expect Rose to line up when they take to Illawarra South Coast looking to secure their finals berth at Laurie Daley Oval.
He is also yet to make a call on whether Tumut co-coach Lachlan Bristow, who injured his ankle in the final training run for the Bulls will be right to play either.
"I'm pretty sure Rosey is going to be out and I'm waiting to hear back from 'Hook' Bristow and what he's up to," Luff said. "I'm trying to figure out some replacements."
Bristow is far from confident he'll be right to take his place in the side after undergoing more treatment on Tuesday.
"It's pulled up pretty sore and I'm struggling to run so it's not the best," Bristow said.
"Speaking to Luff we were going to give it to Thursday but I think that is being pretty hopeful at the moment."
Luff already struck a dead end with Southcity coach Kyle McCarthy unavailable to come into the side as the Riverina look to secure a return to finals after being kicked off the running by the Dragons in last year's semi-final.
The coach himself was almost a scratching himself from last week's win.
He thought he was suffering from a bout of food poisoning leading into the clash but the illness has spread through his family.
"I was up vomiting and with diarrhoea all (Saturday) night," Luff said. "I didn't know if it was food poisoning but it absolutely cruelled me and I didn't know if I was going to play but I ended up getting through it."