Herbie return the latest rotation in Dolphins injury spin cycle

Herbie Farnworth will line up for just his fifth appearance for the Dolphins this week in good news for the club who are mining their depth to again defy the critics in 2024.

The high-profile recruit has slotted straight back into the centre position that had in recent weeks been filled by Tesi Niu, who himself has been ruled out with an ankle injury for the match against Manly.

“Well, Herbie's fit to play, that's the main thing,” Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett said.

“Always good to have your top players back.

“(He’s) month behind everybody else now, but he'll catch up pretty quick.”

While injuries are part-and-parcel of rugby league, with a number of clubs dealing with long-term injuries, the bad news started early for the Dolphins with the pre-season loss of Tom Gilbert to an ACL injury.

New signings Farnworth and Tom Flegler (shoulder) were ruled out in a costly win over Wests Tigers, which also felled Felise Kaufusi - who returned from his hamstring complaint last week.

Star fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow was the next to fall, also with a hamstring issue, in his side’s loss to the Broncos, while various ailments to the Bromwich brothers Jesse and Kenny, and Connelly Lemuelu, has meant there has been a nearly weekly reshuffle of the forwards.

Bennett said the likely return date of Flegler, who has a nerve issue in his injured shoulder, was a mystery, but was hopeful that Tabuai-Fidow was on track to return at Magic Round next week.

“Nobody knows (when Flegler will be back), nobody knows,” Bennett said.

“The Hammer could be back next week, (he was) pretty close this week. But again, just giving him an extra week.

“But Tom, nobody knows.”

In good news, Gilbert was set to meet with his surgeon today to determine a date for surgery.

“I'm seeing the surgeon … so hopefully in the next two weeks, I finally get the news, I can have the surgery and get this rehab started,” Gilbert said at a Dolphins membership event.

“I'm close having surgery now with no complication, which has been really good.

“(Coming back in) Round 1 is a goal. But for me, I want to come back to the squad and be playing really good footy and contributing, I don't want to be a burden. At the seven-or-eight-month mark, seeing how I'm going to training, how my reps are going, fitness; they're the big questions I have to answer.

“What's going to make me ready for next year is having the right attitude and attacking this rehab with a good work ethic and leaving no stone unturned in that process and that's what's going to get me ready for next year.”

The Dolphins have still managed to climb into fourth spot on the ladder with five wins – just above the Sea Eagles – fuelling hope for a maiden finals appearance.

However, they will have to turn around a poor record at Suncorp Stadium this year where they have only won one of four matches, as well as reverse the result of their last outing against Manly, a 58-18 loss in Round 15 last year.

“It wasn't our best night, it was a bad night,” Bennett said.

“I haven't seen much of them (this year), to be honest with you, they’ve got some wonderful players there, so they'll always be a threat, but I haven't watched a great deal of them.

“(With the short turnaround, we haven’t prepared) as well as you'd like to, but that's the game, we're all experienced enough at that now, five days, we've got to go back out and play again.

“So you like longer turnarounds, but that's not how it works.”