The North Queensland Cowboys have confirmed young gun back Tom Chester will be on the sidelines for the next month.
It comes after he went down with a hamstring injury during Saturday evening's narrow loss on home soil to three-time defending premiers the Penrith Panthers.
Chester lasted just 27 minutes during the contest against Penrith before being taken from the field.
Coming into the side to replace Zac Laybutt ahead of Round 6 after he went down with a season-ending ACL injury, it was just Chester's fourth game of the season, however, the youngster has impressed during those contests.
Typically a fullback, his addition to the side in Round 6 came after he also played in Round 3 against the St George Illawarra Dragons at centre, with Chester in his first three games at the position averaging 129 metres per game and defending solidly.
Following a Round 6 loss to the Parramatta Eels where Chester was among the best for the Cowboys, coach Todd Payten suggested Chester could become a "good strike centre" for the Cowboys.
"Absolutely. I saw enough in the first game against St George, and like I said, he is only going to get better and better with more reps and consistency he gets with the guys around him," Payten said at the time.
"He wants to get better, and it's well within possibility that he becomes a good strike centre for us."
Chester, noted for his work ethic, is no stranger to injury, having missed most of 2023 with an ACL injury after slotting into the Cowboys' team during the first half of the season.
A month on the sidelines will see Chester miss games against the Dolphins, Gold Coast Titans, South Sydney Rabbitohs and Wests Tigers.
It's believed the young gun will likely be replaced in the centres by former New Zealand Warrior Viliami Vailea, with teams for the Cowboys' clash with the Dolphins in Townsville to be named on Tuesday at 4pm (AEST).
It's likely those teams will also see the return of gun Dolphins' second-rower Heilum Luki, who has been recovering from a syndesmosis injury.
Chester's likely return from his latest hamstring injury is shaping up as Round 13 in Sydney against the Sydney Roosters on June 2.
