Barba injured as Dogs line-up Dugan

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Ben Barba limps off the field against the Eels. Source: Cameron Spencer / Getty Images

AN ankle syndesmosis left Ben Barba's immediate future in doubt on Friday night, but Bulldogs officials are already moving to insure themselves against losing him for good.

With Barba at shortening odds to join his young family in Brisbane next year, Canterbury have identified NSW Origin fullback Josh Dugan as his possible replacement.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the club has made numerous attempts to contact Dugan's management, which is currently in negotiations to extend his deal at St George Illawarra.

But it appears the Bulldogs will be keeping a close eye on those discussions while Dugan remains a free agent, with the Broncos on standby to sign Barba should he be granted a release on compassionate grounds.

For the time being it's not certain when - or even if - Barba will return in a Canterbury jersey after he limped from the field in just the eighth miniute.

He was dressed by halftime and left ANZ Stadium in a moonboot and crutches.

Bulldogs coach Des Hasler later revealed Barba had suffered a syndesmosis, a condition associated with ligaments detaching from the bone.

Hasler was hopeful Barba would only miss two or three weeks, but the injury has been known to claim previous victims for several months.

"We'll get that scanned in (this morning) and we'll know the full story," Hasler said.

"But it will be weeks."

Barba sustained the injury as he crossed for Canterbury's third try in just the eighth minute, by which time the mis-match was effectively over.

Josh Reynolds and Frank Pritchard both ran amok in the seven-try romp, which threatened to condemn Parramatta to their first back-to-back donuts in 66 years.

The Eels finally broke a scoreless drought that stretched for over three hours when Ben Roberts and Semi Radradra scored consolation tries inside the final 10 minutes.

Apart from their late rally, it was another night of woe for the wooden spoon elects.

They gambled on a short kick-off to start the game, which back-fired when Canterbury won possession and monopolised it for the next 11 minutes.

In that period the Bulldogs ran through their hapless opponents like a salmonella-ridden vindaloo, with Sam Perrett, Reynolds and Barba contributing tries to a 16-0 scoreline.

Perrett reverted to fullback in Barba's absence and gave a solid audition for the role, despite not playing a full game at the rear since 2008.

"He's a pretty logical replacement," Hasler said.

"He's played a bit of No.1, he's very experienced and he's a pretty cool customer."

But Friday night's romp was hardly a test of Canterbury's mettle.

Up 22-0 at the break, they careered ahead with two of the softest tries shortly after it to bloat their skinny differential.

Forwards James Graham and Dale Finucane both crashed over with alarming ease from close range to break their ducks for 2013, and in the process spare themselves from a dreaded nudie run.

But for Parramatta, there's no telling when the red faces will end after their ninth straight loss.

Until Roberts scored in the 70th minute the Eels were facing their biggest ever defeat to Canterbury and are set to be without lock Darcy Lussick, who was sidelined with a hip pointer injury in the first half.

Willie Tonga also finished the match on report for a lifting tackle on Reynolds.

"It's tough against a good team . . . very tough," Eels coach Ricky Stuart lamented.  

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