Kieran Foran's disappointing first NRL season at Canterbury has ended early after he was booked in for toe surgery.
Foran has missed the Bulldogs' past two games with a torn toe ligament in his left foot, before it was decided on Monday he would go under the knife to fix it.
"The surgery will see the re-construction of the ligaments in the toe of his left foot, after original treatment had failed to see an improvement in the injury," the Bulldogs said in a statement.
The operation will leave Foran in a moon boot for six weeks, before he can begin rehabilitation and eventually his preparations for next season.
It's another bitter blow for both Canterbury and Foran, who has failed to reach his early-career heights at the club after being trumpeted as a headline signing last year.
Once considered one of the toughest players in the NRL in his younger years at Manly, Foran now appears to be paying the price for putting his body on the line so regularly.
He missed most of his sole season with Parramatta with a shoulder injury in 2016, and also battled back problems at the Warriors last year when he was sidelined for a combined seven games.
Brought to the club by ex-coach Des Hasler to spark Canterbury's lacklustre attack, he has again battled a back injury this year as he struggled to replicate his Sea Eagles form.
The Bulldogs sit second-last on the ladder after their worst start to a season in 54 years, and are ranked 15th in attack averaging just 15 points per game.
Canterbury were also forced to deny reports earlier this month they were trying to have Foran medically retired just one season into his big-money three-year deal.
It comes after the club released fullback Moses Mbye to the Wests Tigers mid-season to alleviate salary cap pressure, now leaving them without the two most senior members of their spine.
Will Hopoate will likely swap to fullback, while Jeremy Marshall-King and Matt Frawley will remain in the halves.
The Bulldogs also have just this week to contemplate mid-season offers to release Aaron Woods to Cronulla, which would further free up cap space for 2019.
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