Bunnies Suffer Another Blow as Cody Walker Set to Miss at Least a Month

South Sydney has been dealt another blow with star playmaker Cody Walker set to spend up to a month on the sidelines.

On Thursday, Bunnies coach Wayne Bennett announced that Walker will be absent for a minimum of four weeks—potentially extending to five—after sustaining a calf injury during training earlier in the week.

Although Walker was named to start at five-eighth on Tuesday, he will now be excluded from the matchday squad.

In his place, diminutive fullback Jye Gray will step into the team, surprisingly shifting into the halves, while Latrell Mitchell remains in the fullback position, according to Bennett.

“(Walker) won’t be taking to the field. He has a significant calf tear from training a couple of days ago, so he’ll be out for four to five weeks,” Bennett stated.

“Jye Gray will step in, and Latrell will take the captaincy.

“(Five-eighth) is Gray’s position from his early days. Although he has played predominantly at fullback in senior games, I’m confident he can manage the role effectively.”

“It’s disappointing all around, but Walker is especially upset about the impact this has on him personally. However, there’s nothing we can do.”

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“This is a different injury; it’s not his hamstring like last time. It’s a different area and on the opposite leg. These things can occur without explanation, and as you age, it seems you become more susceptible.”

Interestingly, $700,000-a-season acquisition Lewis Dodd remains on the outer of the starting lineup, despite being a specialist halfback.

Bennett hinted at the possibility of Dodd joining the team, potentially taking over from Gray on the bench.

Walker’s injury adds to an already challenging season for the Rabbitohs.

Younger halfback Jamie Humphreys is also out for a couple more weeks due to a hamstring issue, while captain Cameron Murray has been ruled out for the season due to an infected Achilles injury sustained last week.

The Bunnies are set to face Melbourne on Friday in what has historically been a tough road trip to the Victorian capital for South Sydney.