The Melbourne Storm have confirmed Tyran Wishart will be the second player to miss Saturday evening's clash with the Parramatta Eels.
Harry Grant was the first player to test positive yesterday, failing a rapid antigen test before being sent home from training.
He tested positive to a PCR test later in the day, however, as it was after the deadline for teams to be named, he was still named in the number nine jumper for the Storm's Round 3 clash.
Grant was the star of the show last week for Melbourne as the club won a golden point thriller against the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The news doesn't get any better today for the Storm though, with Tyran Wishart ruled out under the Australian Federal Government's close contact rules. The back up hooker lives with Grant.
Given the two players play in the same position, the Storm will now be left scrambling to find an alternative option, with Melbourne's director of football Frank Ponissi stating Smith was only a small chance of playing.
"Yeah, unfortunately Wishy (Tyran Wishart), he's tested negative," Ponissi said.
"He was sent home early this morning even though he passed his RAT test but being a close contact we isolated him as well away from not just the group but also Harry.
"He undertook a PCR test, which has come back negative, but under the government rules, he's a close contact, so he unfortunately cannot join us for seven days, which means he's also unavailable for Saturday night.
"So even though he is 100% and feeling well we cannot use him which is obviously doubly worse than Harry's out and they play the same position.
"With Brandon, a slim chance at best playing on Saturday night, we will have to look at some different options Saturday night."
Wishart would likely have replaced Grant had he been available, however, the onus may now fall on Jayden Nikorima to start the game in the number nine jumper, provided Smith can't pass fit.
The New Zealand international hooker and lock fractured his hand in Round 1 and was due to miss between three and six weeks.
