Mitchell Moses is set for an extended sideline stint after suffering a calf strain at State of Origin training.
The star halfback, who played at five-eighth for the Blues in Game 1, and was set to do the same in Game 2, was confirmed as a late withdrawal for New South Wales on Thursday after straining his calf at training.
It was unclear at that stage the severity of the injury, but the Eels have now confirmed that he will miss between four and six weeks.
It's a crushing blow for Moses, who missed the end of the 2024 season after suffering an injury while piloting the Blues to a famous State of Origin series win at Suncorp Stadium, and then missed much of the first half of 2025 with a foot injury.
The star halfback will be replaced in the New South Wales side by Jarome Luai, who has been recalled to start alongside Nathan Cleary despite Canterbury Bulldogs five-eighth Matt Burton having been named as 18th man when the squad was announced on Monday evening.
The injury is also a horror blow for the Eels at club level.
Jason Ryles' side sit second last on the ladder with just four wins from their 13 games to date, and would likely need a minimum of eight more victories in their final 11 games to play finals footy this year.
That now seems like a long shot without their star halfback.
Dean Hawkins, who saw plenty of game time early in the year replacing Moses after shifting from the South Sydney Rabbitohs during the off-season, will be his most likely replacement over the coming weeks.
