“The key to all of this is he said,‘This can be fixed’. Karl is excited,but there’s still some way to go.”

The 18-year-old has been touted as one of the game’s top young talents and has already made seven NRL appearances since making his debut in round nine of last season. The Bulldogs paid a $500,000 transfer fee to secure him from the Broncos in the belief he would be the club’s long-term playmaker. During his brief first-grade career to date,Oloapu showed glimpses of his potential in the halves and in the back-row.

However,the neck issue raised doubts about whether he would be able to fulfil a contract that didn’t expire until the end of 2026. With his career at a crossroads,Oloapu was put in touch with Anthony Minichiello,the Roosters legend who overcame multiple spinal operations that threatened his career. Minichiello helped to arrange an appointment with Winder and plans to keep in touch with the Australian schoolboys star after Thursday’s positive news.