NRL Casualty Ward: Parramatta Eels prop Junior Paulo facing season-ending surgery on foot

The Rabbitohs have had a star prop sidelined for the remainder of the season, while Parramatta’s horror season has gotten worse with one of their former Origin reps facing season-ending surgery.

Junior Paulo is facing two months on the sideline. Picture: NRL Photos

South Sydney’s dramatic push for the most unlikeliest of finals finishes have been dealt another blow with star prop Tevita Tatola sidelined for the rest of the season.

Tatola has not played since round six with the foot injury originally set to sideline him for three months. However, the 27-year-old has been forced to undergo a further operation which will put a premature end to his season.

The foot is healing but not quite to the point where the medical staff were happy meaning he had to have another surgery.

That leaves South Sydney now scrapping together a side under interim coach Ben Hornby.

Tatola joins a long-list of Rabbitohs who are now unlikely to play again this year. Tatola, Lachie Ilias, Campbell Graham and Isaiah Tass won’t play this year.

Flying winger Tyrone Munroe is also unlikely to play again unless South Sydney march towards the finals

Representative forward Jai Arrow has just one game left before he will have an operation having been nursed through the season so far with a bad shoulder injury. He will have his surgery to ensure he is right to start next season under the return of coach Wayne Bennett.

Tevita Tatola will be sidelined for the rest of the season. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The Rabbitohs will welcome back the likes of Jacob Host and Siliva Havili from injury in the next few weeks to give them some much needed cover to their depleted forwards stocks.

South Sydney continued their remarkable run under Hornby with a comprehensive 32-16 victory with stars Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker and Jack Wighton showing their class.

The Rabbitohs are now in the midst of a five-game winning streak.

They need to win at least seven of their final remaining nine games to be any chance of sneaking into the top eight. They face the Dolphins next week – minus Origin players – before games against the Tigers, Raiders, Sharks and Storm.

Junior Paulo is set to be sidelined for the next two months. Picture: NRL Photos

PAULO FACING SEASON-ENDING SURGERY

Parramatta’s year from hell continues with marquee prop Junior Paulo facing surgery which is likely to be season-ending.

The NSW State of Origin prop is set to be sidelined for the next two months after suffering a lisfranc joint injury in the Eels loss to the Rabbitohs on Thursday night.

Paulo was unable to finish the game and left CommBank Stadium in a moon boot with scans on Friday revealing the extent of the damage.

Paulo joins a mounting casualty ward which interim Eels coach Trent Barrett has the enviable job of trying to cover ahead of a round 19 clash with the Titans on the Gold Coast.