Titan Nate Myles out for NRL season

Gold Coast’s forwards crisis has worsened with co-captain Nate Myles ruled out for the rest of the NRL season with a biceps injury.

The Queensland and Australian forward will undergo surgery after struggling with the injury for several weeks.

“It got to the point where he’s going to do further damage, so we thought it best to rest him,” interim Titans coach Neil Henry said.

“We’re going to get him operated on and get his bicep fixed so he can get on with it and get a full pre-season under his belt.”

Myles, 29, will also miss the Four Nations tournament for Australia.

The Titans will be without six frontline forwards when they line up against St George Illawarra at WIN Jubilee Oval on Sunday.

Luke Douglas has also been ruled out of the side which was named on Tuesday after accepting a backdated 12-month ASADA ban for doping.

They join Dave Taylor (neck), Ryan James (shoulder), Ben Ridge (shoulder/groin) and Ashley Harrison (neck) on the sidelines.

The glut of injuries has forced Henry to reshuffle his pack and leaves him with just one front-rower, Mark Ioane, on the bench.

Matthew White will come into the starting side with Tom Kingston and Maurice Blair added to the bench.

“It is a bit of an injury crisis but Maurice Blair comes in and gives us some utility value. He has played left centre, in the halves and back row,” Henry said.

“We still have a team that is ready to go and determined to win our remaining three games and we are playing for a lot of pride.”

Douglas’ ban will end his NRL record of 215 consecutive matches.

He and fellow Titan Albert Kelly, who were both members of the 2011 Cronulla squad which was the subject of an 18-month ASADA investigation, will sit out the rest of the season after accepting bans.

“It is shattering for Luke and Albert, and particularly Dougie in that it is such a sad way for him to end the record run of consecutive matches,” Henry said.

“His integrity remains without question, though, and he has the full support of the club and his teammates, as has Albert.”

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