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A spinal specialist has given teenage Canterbury playmaker Karl Oloapu hope of making a successful return from a neck injury that threatened his promising NRL career.<\/p>\n
There were fears Oloapu, who played through the pain of a bulging disc for much of last season, would be forced to retire. Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould previously told this masthead he had gathered two medical opinions that indictated Oloapu had played his last game over concerns he was at risk of a catastrophic injury if he played on.<\/p>\n
But on Thursday night Oloapu\u2019s team arranged a third opinion, that of Associate professor Mark Winder. The renowned St Vincent\u2019s Hospital spinal surgeon said that, with corrective surgery, Oloapu could potentially return to the field as soon as the middle of next year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe went into that expecting that if it was bad news, we would accept that,\u201d said Oloapu\u2019s manager, Matt Adamson.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have been upfront with that right through the process. The way [Winder] articulated things in that meeting to say he was going to be OK is awesome, which has given Karl great hope.<\/p>\n
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Karl Oloapu is hoping to return to the NRL next year.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>NRL Photos<\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cThe key to all of this is he said, \u2018This can be fixed\u2019. Karl is excited, but there\u2019s still some way to go.\u201d<\/p>\n The 18-year-old has been touted as one of the game\u2019s top young talents and has already made seven NRL appearances since making his debut in round nine of last season. The Bulldogs paid a $500,000 transfer fee to secure him from the Broncos in the belief he would be the club\u2019s long-term playmaker. During his brief first-grade career to date, Oloapu showed glimpses of his potential in the halves and in the back-row.<\/p>\n However, the neck issue raised doubts about whether he would be able to fulfil a contract that didn\u2019t expire until the end of 2026. With his career at a crossroads, Oloapu was put in touch with Anthony Minichiello, the Roosters legend who overcame multiple spinal operations that threatened his career. Minichiello helped to arrange an appointment with Winder and plans to keep in touch with the Australian schoolboys star after Thursday\u2019s positive news.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t want to rush it, we\u2019ve got time on our side,\u201d Adamson said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe kid has endured a fair bit in a young career, he\u2019s still only 18. There\u2019s no need for stupidity in this, we\u2019ll take it a step at a time.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll follow the experts\u2019 orders and see where it lands us.\u201d<\/p>\n Sports news, results and expert commentary.<\/i><\/b> Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\nMost Viewed in Sport<\/h2>\n
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