Canberra’s premiership hopes have taken a hit with confirmation that Xavier Savage will miss the rest of the season after scans revealed he fractured his shoulder.
The Raiders winger suffered the injury during the golden point win over Penrith in Mudgee last Friday night but incredibly stayed on the field for over 15 minutes before being replaced.
He will now face at least three months on the sidelines with his season officially over and surgery likely to be considered once he meets with specialists this week.
Savage has been one of Canberra’s best finishers, leading the Raiders with a team best 12 tries this year along with 9 linebreaks.
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His absence leaves a significant void on the right edge, where his pace and strike power have been pivotal to the Raiders’ attack.
Canberra coach Ricky Stuart is expected to turn to Savelio Tamale, who has been recovering from a knee injury, as a possible replacement on the wing.
That would see Stuart's son, Jed, retain the left wing spot vacated by Tamale's months ago when he himself suffered a potentially season ending injury.
The Raiders remain firmly in the hunt for the minor premiership but losing Savage at such a crucial stage of the season is a cruel setback.
At just 23 years old, Savage has already established himself as a fan favourite and an important figure in the Raiders’ long-term plans.
The focus now shifts to the depth in Canberra’s backline to step up and cover for the loss of their speedster as the finals approach.