The South Sydney Rabbitohs have copped a massive injury blow on the eve of the NRL finals after versatile veteran Euan Aitken was ruled out for the rest of the season. Aitken scored a try in the Rabbitohs’ win over the Roosters on Friday night before he later suffered a shoulder injury.
He was spotted in a sling after the game while posing for photos with Jai Arrow and other teammates. On Monday the Rabbitohs announced the heartbreaking news that Aitken won’t play a part in their finals campaign.
Wayne Bennett and the Rabbitohs will be without Euan Aitken.
The club revealed that Aitken suffered a fractured scapula, which is the shoulder blade. “Euan Aitken will miss the remainder of the 2026 season,” the Rabbitohs announced. “We wish you all the best with your recovery, Euie!”
Euan Aitken’s experience and versatility would have come in handy. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
With Latrell Mitchell’s return in the centres likely to see Tallis Duncan moved to second-row, it was unlikely that Aitken would have started in the finals. But his experience and versatility would have come in very handy.
The 31-year-old has played 224 NRL games across a 12 -year career in stints with the Dragons, Warriors, Dolphins and Rabbitohs. He’s played off the bench, started in the back-row and filled in at centre for Wayne Bennett’s side in 2026.
However the injury will deny Aitken the chance to end his long finals drought. He hasn’t played a finals game since his debut season with St George Illawarra in 2015.
Rabbitohs to use Jai Arrow as inspiration in NRL finals
The Rabbitohs face the Knights on Friday night at Allianz Stadium in the first elimination final. Cody Walker said Souths will carry the emotion of Arrow’s fight against MND with them throughout the campaign.
“It’s one of those things that we can certainly harness the emotion and use him as a bit of an inspiration for the rest of the year,” Walker said. “It’s important that we don’t go too far with all that stuff and make sure we’re focusing on the job at hand.
“I think we’ve done that every single time; we’ve worried about the job at hand and not got too emotional with the occasion. We haven’t spoken too much about it leading into the games because naturally you’re going to get up for those occasions given the atmosphere.”