The Brisbane Broncos have been rocked by a fresh pre-season injury blow, with Kobe Hetherington rupturing his biceps this week.
The club released a statement on Wednesday afternoon announcing the news, with the lock forward suffering the injury during training on Tuesday.
The Broncos have confirmed he has undergone surgery, however, his return timeline is unclear.
“The surgery went well and Kobe is now recovering," Broncos head of performance Dave Ballard said in the statement.
"He will be out for an extended period but is receiving the best quality care, and the club will be providing all the support that Kobe needs during that period.”
The general recovery time for a ruptured biceps requiring surgery for recovery comes in at around three to four months, which will have Hetherington missing the start of the NRL season, and, pending on the timeline, as much as the opening four to six weeks of action.
It's a major dent in Brisbane's plans for the new campaign, with Hetherington becoming a focal part of Kevin Walters' forward pack over the last 24 months.
A former dummy half, Hetherington has developed into a middle third forward where he has played 36 games for the club since his debut in Round 11 of the 2021 season.
Starting a number of games at lock, it's tipped Hetherington would again play from the bench in 2023 behind a starting middle third rotation of Patrick Carrigan, Payne Haas and Thomas Flegler.
The 23-year-old is on contract with the Broncos until the end of the 2025 season.
