Dragons confirm extent of injuries for Sele, Bird

The duo both suffered injuries during Thursday’s loss to the Bulldogs.

The St George Illawarra Dragons have confirmed the extent of injuries for utility Jack Bird and prop Hame Sele, although neither player have a confirmed return to play timeline as yet.

Both players were unable to complete Thursday night’s game against the Canterbury Bulldogs, with the Dragons suffering a dramatic second half fadeout to lose heavily.

Sele suffered a shoulder injury early in the contest. He attempted to play through it for a period of time before being brought from the park.

The first half injury has now been confirmed as a shoulder fracture.

Bird, on the other hand, was feared to have broken his ankle just before halftime in attempting to complete a tackle.

He went over heavily on the ankle and was only able to drag himself over the sideline before being taken from the field via a medicab and with the green whistle.

It was later revealed Dragons’ medical staff were only fearing a severe strain though and that has since been proven the case, with the club confirming his ankle is not broken.

Bird, who has had a horror run of injuries over his time in the NRL, will likely miss four weeks or more with a severe ligament strain, while Sele could miss six or more weeks according to NRL Physio.

The club have confirmed both players will require further review from specialists next week before a return to play date can be estimated.

Bird’s injury will likely see Zac Lomax move into the centres, with Christian Tuipulotu coming onto the wing, and Sele’s injury will see a reshuffling of the forward pack.