Bulldogs playmaker targets miracle revovery
Karl Oloapu has had NRL football handed to him and then cruelly snatched away, all while still in his teens.
The Canterbury Bulldogs playmaker, having made seven first-grade appearances since his debut last year, has been ruled out for the entire 2024 season after undergoing neck surgery. There were fears the setback could be career-ending after Canterbury sourced two medical opinions that suggested Oloapu risked catastrophic injury if he didn’t retire immediately.
However, a third opinion from the specialist who operated, renowned St Vincent’s Hospital spinal surgeon Associate Professor Mark Winder, has raised hopes that the 19-year-old could make an unlikely comeback.
“I got ruled out for this year,” Oloapu said this week. “I’ve started my rehab. Maybe two weeks ago I started running on the field, so I’m pretty grateful for that. I’m just trying to get back in 2025.’’
Oloapu is still coming to terms with his predicament. The Wellington product realised something was amiss in pre-season when he felt things “happening to my body that haven’t happened before”, including a “tingling” sensation.
“I had a disc in my neck that was a bit fragile,” he said. “I ended up removing that and then they put a cage in there just to keep everything stable.
“It was a shock. But having my faith and everything like that, I do believe everything happens for a reason. I think it’s just another obstacle that God sent me to overcome. It’s just part of the journey and part of the game.”
Where that journey leads remains unclear. The Bulldogs continue to pay a contract that doesn’t expire until the end of 2026, as well as assisting with Oloapu’s medical and emotional recovery. Oloapu remains hopeful he will be able eventually to return to fulfil his undoubted potential.
“When you have a family that supports you and is always there for you, nothing really scares you, even though at times it does,” he said. “Finding out what my injury was, there were times when I got scared. I know at the end of the day, everything’s going to be all right …
“My focus right now is to get the body right, cut down a few kilograms and just basically let my neck heal. I’m not trying to rush anything, just try and be smart.”
Several stars have helped Oloapu through his ordeal. Roosters legend Anthony Minichiello facilitated the initial consultation with Winder and maintained an interest during Oloapu’s recovery, while injured Canterbury team-mate Ryan Sutton has been a companion in the rehab ward.
“It was a big shock for me, people were saying that I was going to retire,” Oloapu said. “My focus right now is just to come back from it, not to prove people wrong but to prove myself right.”
Asked about the prospect of the injury not healing sufficiently to allow him to play again, Oloapu said: “That’s out of my control, to think about the future right now.
“I’m just trying to stay present and do everything I can to come back in 2025 … No-one wants an injury like that to happen to you. It’s kind of a blessing in disguise, kind of learning about diet and building that resilience and just meeting new people along the way.
“I’m being really grateful for, you could say, a second chance at playing this game.”
Sutton, who is hopeful of coming back in May from knee surgery, has marvelled at
Oloapu’s resilience. “Karl is my son at the minute,” he quipped. “Me and Karl have a tight bond at the minute because I’ve been in that situation where you’ve been injured when you’re young and it’s really hard.
“He’s always asking the physios about when he can come back. That just shows a lot of character from a young kid who wants to come back to the game, and credit to him.
“For a young kid, it’s easy for you to just get homesick away from family and take away from the love of the sport. But for a young kid to do what he’s doing and having to fight to get back is really good, and he’s had some really good news.’’