Cody Walker is out of the Indigenous All Stars due to a calf injury, and is racing the clock to be fit for South Sydney’s season opener in Las Vegas.
Walker was due to captain the All Stars against the Maori All Stars on Friday, but told officials he has had to withdraw.
Latrell Mitchell, Josh Addo-Carr and Nicho Hynes are all in contention to take over as skipper.
Indigenous coach Ronnie Griffiths confirmed Walker had a calf injury, understood to be a grade one strain, and said the Souths star was devastated when he broke the news.
“I spoke to him before I boarded a flight from Brisbane, he told me he did his calf and was out,” Griffiths said.
“It’s a massive blow for us and a massive blow for Cody because he’s a player who makes himself available every year.
Cody Walker has been ruled out of the All Stars game.Credit: Getty
“He loves the game and that passion and leadership exudes out of him when he plays.”
Griffiths is trying to find a replacement for Walker, who also helped as an assistant coach last year. Hynes and Braydon Trindall will be the starting halves.
The first of the trials kicks off next weekend, and Griffiths hopes several players who were ruled ineligible for the All Stars do not feature for their clubs.
Souths held an opposed session at Maroubra, which essentially doubled as their unofficial first trial. They will start their fringe players against Manly on Sunday, and have only next weekend’s Charity Shield against St George Illawarra to nail their combinations before flying to the US.
Should 34-year-old Walker struggle to be fit for round one, Souths might need to turn to Dean Hawkins to partner Lachlan Ilias, or even rely on Mitchell.
Walker is expected to have scans early on Sunday.
Rated one of the premiership heavyweights, Souths were still reeling from the news during the week that Campbell Graham could be out for up to six months after requiring fresh surgery to his sternum.
Meanwhile, Josh Aloiai and Corey Waddell are late scratchings from Sunday’s game against Souths, with Karl Lawton and Aaron Woods to skipper the Sea Eagles.
Aloiai pulled up with calf tightness on Thursday while Waddell also suffered a knock. Neither player is expected to be in doubt for the Vegas game.
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