Phil Gould seeks salary cap relief for Leo Thompson as Canterbury Bulldogs fly out to Las Vegas

“[Thompson] came back from All Stars camp, we initially thought it was a tight calf, but scans showed it was a bit more than that,” Canterbury coach Ciraldo said.

“It’s unfortunate he’s not joining us, but his best possible preparation for the season is to stay in Sydney and get the right treatment.

“He was building nicely. It’s a shame he won’t play in Vegas, but we’re comfortable with the depth in the squad we’ve built up the last few years. Sam Hughes played well in his absence against Newcastle during the trial, so I’m sure he’ll get an opportunity.”

While Thompson’s injury is a huge blow for the Dogs, there was brighter news for Matt Burton, who is expected to shake off a hamstring scare and take the field on Sunday week against St George Illawarra.

Burton came from the field in the first half against the Knights. But Ciraldo said his five-eighth had trained strongly this week.

Loading

“The scans came back all clear; he’s looking very healthy now – he’s ready to go,” Ciraldo said. “He won ’t be [a risk], not the way he trained on Wednesday. I think it was a bit of a scare for him. It can be quite stressful leading up to Vegas – when you feel something little, you can make it out to be much bigger than what it is in your head. He trained with no restrictions.”

All eyes will be on halfback Lachie Galvin this season, after he was heavily scrutinised – even by his own fans – following his messy mid-season exit from the Wests Tigers.

Ciraldo has been a fierce supporter of Galvin, and knows the youngster is in for a big campaign.

“What I really like about him is how quickly he learns,” Ciraldo said of Galvin. “He’s a 20-year-old kid who is learning a lot about the game. It’s not always perfect, but he comes in, reviews it, and goes out the next session and does it better.”

Of the four teams competing in the US this year, including St George Illawarra, Newcastle and North Queensland, only the Bulldogs are a realistic chance of pushing for the premiership.

As was the case in previous years, the NRL has paid for a coach to transfer the Bulldogs’ training equipment from Los Angeles to Vegas, so there is no chance of any important cargo going missing.

North Queensland and Newcastle will depart on Friday, while the Dragons leave on Saturday.