THE WEST is in crisis following a horror night of Friday football with a combined 66-point flogging and two potentially season-ending injuries putting Penrith and Parramatta squarely back in the frame for the wooden spoon.

The Eels and Panthers could now fill a casualty ward at Westmead Hospital with Friday night injuries to Parramatta’s Corey Norman (knee), David Gower (ankle) and Danny Wicks (shoulder) — and Penrith’s Bryce Cartwright — keeping a staggering combined 19 players sidelined.

media_camera Bryce Cartwright suffered a knee injury against the Storm. Picture: Colleen Petch.

Just four points away from last place, the Eels will have to fight to avoid the embarrassment of winning their third wooden spoon in four years with the NRL’s biggest list of injuries after Norman sustained a potentially season-ending knee injury in the 28-4 Bulldogs’ battering to make it a whopping 10 players out.

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The Sunday Telegraph can also reveal Anthony Watmough is considering a season-ending knee operation in another stinging blow that will see the embattled Eels overtake the Panthers as the NRL’s most injured club.

But of most concern is an injury to Norman, with the Eels’ best player this season facing a lengthy stint on the sidelines.

“We won’t know the full extent of the injury until the results of scans are known,’’ said an Eels spokesperson.

“But it is a suspected PCL injury to his knee which does not look good. It could be anything from two weeks to the season depending how bad it is.

Dave Gower suffered an ankle injury but it doesn’t look too bad and Danny Wicks is also waiting on scans to see the extent of a shoulder injury he suffered.’’

The Eels and Panthers are now locked in a six way battle for the spoon with the Eels, the Knights, the Tigers, the Titans and the Sea Eagles following an equally horrific night for Penrith.

Penrith slumped to 12th place on the ladder — joining the Eels on 18 points — after Melbourne gave them a 42 point flogging in a game that saw another Panther; s marquee downed by injury as the Storm celebrated Cameron Smith’s 300th NRL match.

Joining the likes of Jamal Idris (knee), Matt Moylan (ankle), Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (collapsed lung) and Josh Mansour (knee) on an all star list of the unavailable, Cartwright suffered suspected cartilage damage to his knee and was sent for scans yesterday.

The nephew of Panther’s great John Cartwright, the 20-year-old had been a leading light for Penrith with his ball-playing sparking much of the team’s attack.

“We have a lot of young players shouldering the burden at the moment at it is tough on them,’’ Cleary said.

media_camera Corey Norman down injured against the Bulldogs. pic Mark Evans

“It just hits you hard sometimes. But we have to fight our way out of it and band together. We need to do out best to put on a much better display next weeks and that his all we can do.’’

Both sides are still hopeful of making the finals but are as close to the bottom of the table as they are to the edge of the top-eight.

Parramatta could also be left to fight without the services of star signing Anthony Watmough, who is playing without cartilage in his knee.

Watmough has been told he needs a season ending operation but may opt to play on with injury.

BATTLE OF THE BRUISERS

EELS (11th on 18 points)

COREY NORMAN (at least four weeks) — knee

DANNY WICKS (1-6 weeks) — shoulder

DAVID GOWER (1-2 weeks) — ankle

REECE ROBIONSON (six weeks) — fractured cheekbone.

KAYSA PRITCHARD (season) — pectoral injury

JOHN FOLAU (one week) — leg injury

RICHIE FA’AOSO (indefinite) — shoulder injury

PENI TEREPO (season) — pectoral

BEAU CHAMPION (season) — knee

KENNY EDWARDS (season) — knee

PANTHERS (12th on 18 points)

BRYCE CARTWRIGHT — (indefinite) — knee

DAVE SIMMONS — (indefinite) — hamstring

DALLIN WATENE-ZELEZNIAK (indefinitely) — collapsed lung

JOSH MANSOUR (three weeks) — knee injury

MATT MOYLAN (four weeks) — ankle

JAMAL IDRIS (season) — knee

ADAM DOCKER (indefinite) — knee

BRENT KITE (indefinite) — shoulder

GEORGE JENNINGS (three weeks) — leg