George Williams injured minutes before Souths clash

The Raiders have suffered a huge setback ahead of their clash with the Rabbitohs with halfback George Williams ruled out after injuring his hamstring in the warm-up.

There were initial fears that he had hurt his groin, but it became clear that the Englishman had in fact picked up a hamstring injury.

“It’s hugely concerning for the Canberra Raiders considering they’ve had three losses on the trot and they lose the guy they were going to pin their hopes on with the combination with Jack Wighton,” Cooper Cronk said in commentary.

It’s a huge blow for the Green Machine who enter Round 8 on the back of three straight losses against a South Sydney side that hasn’t been beaten since the opening game of the season.

Hudson Young, who earned a late call-up to the starting side, dropped the ball in the opening set.

In Williams’ absence, Jordan Rapana assumed goalkicking duties. Williams was himself deputising for first-choice goalkicker, Jarrod Croker, whose shoulder injury kept him out of the Souths clash.

Rapana slotted the first covnersion of his NRL career on Friday night, having last kicked goals while playing for the Titans’ NYC team.