Tom Gilbert may have been dealt a heartbreaking blow on the eve of the NRL season, carried from the field with a knee injury in the Dolphins’ trial game against the Warriors.

The 23-year-old went down with a non-contact knee issue while trying to make a tackle on Warriors centre Rocco Berry at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland.

Gilbert’s knee twisted and he could be seen screaming in pain as he fell to the ground, before being helped off the field by two club medical team members.

It would be a cruel blow for the Dolphins, but even more so for Gilbert after he missed more than half of the 2023 season because a shoulder injury sustained in State of Origin required reconstructive surgery.

He did not start the contest for the Dolphins and had only made one run before his injury.

The Dolphins were trailing 18-6 in NZ at the time of the injury, before the Warriors ran out 34-22 winners.

The Dolphins will open their second NRL campaign at home to North Queensland on March 10.

AAP/ABC