NRL Early Mail Round 5: All the latest news ahead of Tuesday’s team announcements

JOSH Hodgson has had a cortisone injection in his sternum and will be given until the end of the week to prove his fitness. Check out the Round 5 Early Mail.

GET all the latest team news ahead of Tuesday’s team announcements in the Round 5 edition of NRL Early Mail.

In the biggest news so far:

* Raiders hooker Josh Hodgson has had a cortisone injection in his sternum and will be given until the end of the week to prove his fitness;

* The Wests Tigers’ woes have been compounded by a hamstring injury to halfback Luke Brooks;

* Panthers star Bryce Cartwright is a “week to week” proposition as he battles to overcome an ankle injury;

* Roosters centre Blake Ferguson trained well on Monday and is a chance of returning from a rib cartilage injury;

* Bulldogs halfback Moses Mbye will be suspended for one week due to a shoulder charge.

* Titans co-captain Ryan James has pleaded not guilty regarding his shoulder charge, while Agnatius Paasi (shoulder) is also facing a sideline stint;

* The Roosters will welcome back skipper Jake Friend, while Test star Blake Ferguson could also return;

* The Cowboys will welcome wrecking ball Jason Taumalolo back from suspension, however fullback Lachlan Coote (calf) could be looking at another week on the sideline which would open up the door for young gun Kalyn Ponga to retain the No. 1 jersey;

* Rookie Rabbitohs winger Braidon Burns (suspension) is expected to slot straight back on to the right wing for South Sydney with Sitiveni Moceidreke to drop out;

* Key Knights Mitch Barnett and Brock Lamb are in doubt with Anthony Tupou and Jaelen Feeney in line to replace them against the Sharks.

BULLDOGS v BRONCOS

8.05pm AEDT Thursday at ANZ Stadium

Bulldogs: Moses Mbye will miss one week through suspension which puts Matt Frawley into the frame for a first grade debut. Tyrone Phillips will be available for selection and may slot in on the wing with Brett Morris moving to fullback given rookie Brad Abbey’s struggles.

Broncos: No changes expected for the Broncos unless Kodi Nikorima makes a return on the bench.

Mbye is facing a week or two on the sidelines.

ROOSTERS v SEA EAGLES

6pm AEDT Friday at Allianz Stadium

Roosters: Centre Blake Ferguson trained well on Monday and is a chance of returning from a rib cartilage injury.

Ferguson has missed the past two games and his inclusion would be a huge boost for the unbeaten Roosters.

Jake Friend is expected to return at hooker with Paul Carter dropping out of the side. Friend was forced to sit out the unbeaten Roosters’ last round 20-6 win over South Sydney after his three front teeth were damaged a week earlier against Penrith.

“I got hit with something and it pushed my three front teeth in, the mouth guard came flying out,” Friend said.

“I got them pulled back and now I have a wire holding them in place. “The dentist said that should keep them there.

“Hopefully I don’t get a whack and lose my front teeth but I am starting to eat again now which is nice.”

Blake Ferguson is also set for a comeback from a rib injury in place of Joseph Manu.

Sea Eagles: Manly’s front-row stocks will receive another boost with Darcy Lussick expected to return from a wrist injury. If he is named it’s likely to be on the bench at the expense of Lewis Brown.

Jake Friend is expected to return against the Sea Eagles.

COWBOYS v RABBITOHS

8.05pm AEDT Friday at 1300 Smiles Stadium

Cowboys: The big inclusion for the Cowboys is reigning Dally M winner Jason Taumalolo. He’ll start at lock with Ethan Lowe moving back to second row, Coen Hess to the bench and Shaun Fensom back to Queensland Cup. Lachlan Coote’s return is far more uncertain — given Kalyn Ponga’s good form Paul Green may be tempted to take the cautious approach.

Rabbitohs: Rookie Braidon Burns is expected to slot straight back on to the right wing for South Sydney with Sitiveni Moceidreke to drop out.

Robbie Farah also received stitches to a cut to his head after the Roosters loss, but is in no doubt.

— Christian Nicolussi

CASUALTY WARD: Who’s been struck down at your club?

BUZZ: Weekend highlights and lowlights

SHARKS v KNIGHTS

3pm AEDT Saturday at Southern Cross Group Stadium

Sharks: No changes expected for the Sharks. Valentine Holmes should retain his spot at fullback and James Segeyaro will again start the match on the bench.

Knights: Mitch Barnett and five-eighth Brock Lamb are both carrying injuries and in doubt for the Sharks clash while hooker Danny Levi and interchange forward Jacob Saifiti will both need to get through concussion protocols to play.

Veteran Anthony Tupou is a big chance of debuting for the Knights against his former club.

Tupou, 34, has not earned Knights selection this year after receiving an NRL lifeline in the off-season following a short-lived English stint. However, Brown said the former Test and NSW back-rower was finally in line for a run in the fallout over their last-round thumping.

“We’ve got a few blokes that can come in if needed - Tupes is probably ready for a game now,” Brown said on Monday.

“There’s certainly been a few guys below par for a couple of weeks in a row now. “And injuries will play a part as well.”

Jaelen Feeney trained in Lamb’s spot on Monday and is the likely replacement if Lamb is ruled out.

The Knights will have fullback Brendan Elliot available after he missed the big loss to Penrith while car crash victim Pauli Pauli is poised to make his first appearance this season in the lower grade after fully recovering from a dislocated hip.

- Barry Toohey

Canberra could be without Hodgson in Round 5.

RAIDERS v EELS

5.30pm AEDT Saturday at GIO Stadium

Raiders: Barry Toohey reports that hooker Josh Hodgson has had a cortisone injection in his sternum and will be given until the end of the week by coach Ricky Stuart to prove his fitness for the clash with the Eels.

The inside word from the Raiders camp is there is optimism he will play with suggestions the Englishman will be asked to tough it out over the next few weeks.

Meanwhile,. Elliott Whitehead will miss after taking an early guilty plea on a tripping charge that will see him sidelined for one week. Sia Soliola will likely move to the right edge but Joseph Tapine is another candidate. Dave Taylor is expected to claim the vacant spot on the bench. Replacing Hodgson, if he succumbs to the injury, is far more difficult. Adam Clydsdale would start but with Kurt Baptiste already out with an achilles injury, Stuart may be forced to use Jordan Turner, Lachlan Croker or even Zac Santo as his bench utility — none of whom have first grade experience at dummy half.

Eels: Tepai Moeroa will return at second row, which will push Frank Pritchard back to the bench and Siosaia Vave out of the team.

MORE BUZZ: How long does Des have left?

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STORM v PANTHERS

7.30pm AEDT Saturday at AAMI Park

Storm: Jordan McLean was a late scratching against the Tigers but he should be right to play. Christian Welch will drop back to the bench and Joe Stimson will be excluded as a result. Suliasi Vunivalu is still a week or two away from returning.

Panthers: Coach Anthony Griffin says star backrower Bryce Cartwright is a “week to week” proposition as he battles to overcome an ankle injury. “He’s a week to week thing,” Griffin said after Penrith’s big win over Newcastle on Friday. “We thought he might have been right this week. He’s getting better everyday, we’ll just wait and see for next week.” If Cartwright returns, he would replace debutant Corey Harawira-Naera on the right edge.

Kieran Foran is expected to miss at least a couple of weeks.

WARRIORS v TITANS

2pm AEDT Sunday at Mt Smart Stadium

Warriors: Kieran Foran’s strained hamstring throws the Warriors plans into disarray and Ata Hingano is expected to fill the breach yet again if the former Eel can’t get back on the field.

“It would have been five minutes before they were about to run out,” coach Stephen Kearney said.

“He came into the sheds and felt a twinge at the top of his hamstring. “You wouldn’t read about it. Under the circumstances it did throw us out a bit.” Foran has not played since turning out for Parramatta’s round 12 clash against Newcastle last May and will face a nervous week in the lead-up to the Titans clash.

Tui Lolohea is expected to move back to the wing and David Fusitu’a to the centres with Blake Ayshford to drop out. However, the club is expected to be boosted by the return of Ben Matulino. He’ll start at prop, which will force C harlie Gubb and Albert Vete to battle it out for a bench spot.

- Staff writers and AAP

Titans: They only just received some relief from the injury crisis that crippled the club, but the Gold Coast Titans are now back under the pump with co-captain Ryan James facing suspension.

James has been slugged with a grade one shoulder charge violation by the NRL match review committee from Saturday’s 32-26 loss to the Cowboys.

He has opted to fight the charge and has pleaded not guilty.

Losing James was the last thing the Titans needed after in-form prop Agnatius Paasi suffered a shoulder injury against the Cowboys.

Paasi was a standout for the Titans in the first three rounds of the season in his comeback from a shoulder reconstruction.

He was in significant pain and will undergo scans on Monday to assess the severity of the injury.

If James and Paasi miss the trip to New Zealand, Nathaniel Peteru is in the frame for a recall while Paterika Vaivai or Morgan Boyle could make their debut for the Titans.

They gained some injury relief when Dale Copley, who scored two tries against the Cowboys, joined the club from the Roosters and Daniel Vidot made his return from a groin problem.

— Travis Meyn

Brooks went down against the Storm.

TIGERS v DRAGONS

4pm AEDT Sunday at ANZ Stadium

Tigers: The Wests Tigers’ woes have been compounded by a hamstring injury to halfback Luke Brooks, who will miss Sunday’s match.

Brooks left the field in the second half of the Tigers’ loss to Melbourne with the club on Monday confirming he will not pull up in time to be available to take on the Dragons.

“Brooks is undergoing treatment on the hamstring and will be unavailable for selection for this week’s game against the St George Illawarra Dragons at ANZ Stadium,” a club statement said.

It’s believed Brooks will miss several weeks, however the club did not divulge how serious the problem was.

Meanwhile forward Joel Edwards will be available to take on the Dragons despite suffering a head injury against the Storm at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday.

Jack Littlejohn could slot in at the scrumbase for Brooks.

Dragons: No changes expected from the Dragons.