NRL player Pauli dislocates hip in crash
Newcastle NRL forward Pauli Pauli has dislocated his hip in a multi-car crash north of Sydney.
The 22-year-old, the driver of one of the cars involved in the accident at Cowan on Wednesday night, was injured alongside seven adults and two children, police say.
Knights coach Nathan Brown would not be drawn on whether the accident would impact Pauli's ability to take the field for their season opener against the Warriors on March 5.
The forward, who has played 48 games across three NRL seasons, remains in Gosford Hospital in a stable condition.
"A dislocated hip's not great for him, so I'm sure he's a little bruised," Brown said.
"But I'm sure he'll be fine and his welfare's obviously important to us."
Pauli's three passengers were hurt in the crash, with a 27-year-old woman suffering a broken leg, an 18-year-old man sustaining suspected spinal injuries and a 15-year-old breaking his collarbone.
Four men and women, aged between 47 and 66, were also hospitalised while a 63-year-old woman escaped injury.
A 13-year-old girl was treated for bruising.
Pauli's injury comes as another blow for the Knights just a day after veteran Jarrod Mullen was provisionally suspended for testing positive to an anabolic steroid.
