The Parramatta Eels have copped yet another injury blow, with star second-rower Shaun Lane to be sidelined for up to two months.
A hamstring injury saw Lane leave the field during Saturday evening's loss to the Canberra Raiders in the Nation's capital, and scans are now understood to have confirmed he will need almost two months on the sideline.
It ruins any chance Lane had of sneaking into the NSW Blues State of Origin squad when Brad Fittler names it for Game 1 this Sunday evening, but the news is a hammer blow for Brad Arthur's struggling side.
Eels confirm Shaun Lane will miss 6-8 weeks with a hamstring injury, really tough run after missing several weeks at the start of the season with a broken jaw. Likely moderate to high grade strain with that recovery timeframe - elevated re-injury risk on return a big factor
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) May 15, 2023
Lane managed just 28 minutes in the game against the Raiders before leaving the park, with it being only his sixth game of the season after missing the opening five rounds with a jaw injury.
Lane's form in those games has been strong, with the star back-rower averaging 120 metres per game, tackling at 96 per cent and making 11 offloads to pose a strong attacking threat on the edge.
His absence will likely see Andrew Davey come straight back into the starting side for this week's crucial clash with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, while Lane will also likely miss matches against the North Queensland Cowboys, Canterbury Bulldogs, Manly Sea Eagles and Dolphins, with a pair of byes making it possible he could return in Round 19 after only four missed matches, with the Eels to play the New Zealand Warriors on July 8.
The Eels are still searching for the keys to their form, with only 4 wins from their first 11 games in a campaign where they are attempting to back up their trip to the grand final last year.
With the closeness of the ladder, they are just two wins behind the eighth-placed Eels, and also have the advantage of not having had one of their three byes yet, but will still need to turn things around in a hurry if they are to play in September.
That process is helped this weekend by Mitchell Moses' likely return from concussion after he missed the game against the Raiders.
Teams will be named at 4pm (AEST) on Tuesday, with the game against South Sydney to be played on Friday evening.
