The Sydney Roosters' injury curse has continued with teenage prodigy Joseph Suaalii ruled out for the rest of the NRL season with a foot problem.
Suaalii did not fly with the Roosters to their Sunshine Coast bubble on Wednesday as he remained in Sydney to have surgery on a lis franc injury.
It means the 17-year-old will not play again this year and will also miss the opening parts of the Roosters' preseason with a five-month recovery expected.
Suaalli is now the sixth Rooster to be ruled out for the season after Luke Keary, Lindsay Collins, Brett Morris, Jake Friend and Boyd Cordner.
Morris, Friend and Cordner have since retired.
After needing an exemption to debut him in the NRL before his 18th birthday, Suaalii's rookie season has now finished having played just five games.
The blow is at least softened with fellow centre Billy Smith returning to football last week, scoring with one of his first touches against Canterbury.
The 21-year-old had missed the past season-and-a-half through knee and shoulder injuries, before finally returning to full fitness.
Meanwhile Siosiua Taukeiaho is set to miss just the one week after being ruled out of Saturday's clash with North Queensland with hamstring tightness.
