Catalans Dragons winger Jodie Broughton will miss the start of the 2019 season after suffering a major knee injury.
The former Salford and Huddersfield player is set to undergo surgery and be sidelined for the next six months after suffering the injury in his side’s Super League defeat at Wigan on Friday.
Dragons coach Steve McNamara said: “Jodie suffered a cruciate ligament injury, his ACL, so it’s the worst type of injury you can have.
Broughton, who played in the Catalans’ Challenge Cup wins over York, Whitehaven and Huddersfield, will obviously miss Sunday’s semi-final against St Helens at Bolton, although he was not guaranteed to be involved.
On Friday he was deputising for winger Lewis Tierney, one of six players rested by McNamara with an eye on the club’s bid to reach Wembley for the second time.
McNamara will have to get the better of his former Sydney Roosters colleague Justin Holbrook, the St Helens head coach, if he is to steer the French club to their first final since 2007.
“I worked alongside Justin for two years at the Roosters,” McNamara said. “We had a great working relationship and we’re good friends.
McNamara has revealed the Catalans staff and players took the opportunity for a spot of reconnaissance during their Wigan trip by making a visit to the Macron Stadium, the venue for Sunday’s historic double-headed semi-finals.
“We had a bit of spare time while we were over playing Wigan so we went there to have a look and got a good feel for the place,” he said.
“I think it’s a really exciting prospect, not only playing at the Macron but also with it being a double header.
“There will be four sets of fans all enjoying the kind of atmosphere the Magic Weekend brings but I think this is going to be a step up.
The Dragons will adopt their normal routine for away games, flying over in a private jet the day before the game after completing their preparations in France.