Sonny Bill
Williams out for six weeks

Injury-prone Bulldogs forward Sonny Bill Williams has suffered another setback in his bid to get back on the field in the National Rugby League.

His club issued a short statement this morning saying the 20-year-old Kiwi international will be sidelined for six weeks after scans revealed stress fractures in his foot. Williams is still on the road to recovery from a serious knee injury suffered last year.

The NRL season starts in less than a month's time, with the first round on March 10-12.

It's a bitter pill to swallow for Williams, who's still undergoing rehabilitation for a serious knee injury suffered in round 13 last season. He was expected to play in the season opener against Penrith on March 11 before his latest setback.

Williams played just five NRL games last year after tearing cartilage in his right knee. The Dogs take on Cronulla in Mollymook on Saturday and New Zealand Warriors on the Gold Coast a week later in pre-season trials.

Here's a rundown of Sonny Bill's injury woes:

April 26, 2004: ankle v South Sydney - 12 games

November 6, 2004: shoulder v Great Britain - two Tests

April 3, 2005: ankle v Cronulla - 7 games

June 4, 2005: knee cartilage v South Sydney - 12 games

February 13, 2006: stress fractures in both feet pre-season - expected to miss six weeks.