KEY POINTS:
Ruben Wiki has inadvertently sidelined Kiwis centre Iosia Soliola from league for six months, with further scans revealing he needs a full shoulder reconstruction.
Originally ruled out of the World Cup on Tuesday due to a rotator cuff tear in his right shoulder, an examination of Soliola's left shoulder revealed more significant damage and he was booked for an immediate reconstruction yesterday.
"It needs surgery and will take about six months recovery. He's probably going to miss the start of next [NRL] season," Kiwis team doctor Simon Mayhew said yesterday. "He's having surgery on the left today, and when he's more comfortable with that in a few weeks times they'll go in and do the right one," Mayhew said.
The culprit? Legendary former Kiwis skipper Wiki and that charge from a kickoff during the New Zealand Warriors' NRL playoff against Soliola's Sydney Roosters in Auckland last month. Not only did Wiki smash through Soliola's attempted tackle, he also caused widespread cartilage damage to his left shoulder.
- NZPA
