The Canberra Raiders’ injury hit start to 2022 took another turn for the worse as starting hooker Josh Hodgson limped out of their season opener against the Cronulla Sharks.

Hodgson went down in just the sixth minute of the game and was immediately removed with what appeared to be a knee injury.

“He won’t be back,” said Matt Russell on the Fox League call. “He was clutching the outside of his right knee.”

Hodgson has suffered from severe knee problems in the past, having blown his ACL in both knees, one in 2018 and the other in 2020.

Footage from the sheds showed physios checking Hodgson’s ACL directly after he was taken off, though by half-time the England international appeared to be in better spirits. Fox League later confirmed that it was not an ACL.

Canberra has already lost new recruit Jamal Fogarty from their spine after the former Gold Coast Titans halfback suffered a knee injury in the club’s trial game with Manly.