AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - AUGUST 13: Joey Leilua of the Raiders looks on during the round 23 NRL match between the New Zealand Warriors and the Canberra Raiders at Mt Smart Stadium on August 13, 2017 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)
Canberra's Joey Leilua could be sidelined for up to three months with a neck injury.
The 27-year old met with specialists on Thursday night to determine the severity of the problem, which comes at a horrible time for the in-form centre.
The Raiders have had a great start to the season, winning six games to sit third on the ladder, with Leilua's injury coming as a cruel blow.
Canberra coach Ricky Stuart lamented the loss of Leilua.
"We've got another appointment today with Joey to get another opinion on where he's at and I'm hoping he'll have some news tomorrow with where he's at with his short-term future of footy," Stuart told NRL.com.
"There's talk it could be three months, it could be longer or good news could be around the corner and it could be less.
"Until I know exactly from our medical team it's hard to speculate.
"The one thing you don't want in your season is bad luck, it knocks a lot of footy teams around and we're on the right foot at the moment we just don't need bad luck."