New Zealand Warriors forward Jackson Ford was injured in the victory against the North Queensland Cowboys on Sunday afternoon.
Coming second in the Dally M award race before the voting was closed to the public after round 12, Ford was subbed off in the 20th minute of the game with a pectoral injury.
His arm was stretched out to the side before being dragged awkwardly into contact.
One of the best props in the competition this season, Ford met with surgeons on Tuesday to determine the recovery period.
Earlier reports suggesting he would be out for at least 10, but potentially as many as 12 weeks have now been confirmed by the club, who have confirmed Tanner Stowers-Smith will be promoted to the starting team in his place.
If Ford makes a 10-week recovery, he will be available for the clash against the Newcastle Knights in round 26, two weeks away from the first week of the finals which the Warriors look an almost certainty to be involved in.
The Warriors' final game of the season before finals is against the Manly Sea Eagles in round 27.
The worst-case scenario is that Ford will be available in the first round of the finals without having played any games leading into the knockout rounds.
The Warriors front-rower, who was having a career-best season, was averaging 161 running metres per game, 41 tackles made per game at 93.2% efficiency, 10 offloads and scored four tries in his 14 appearances for the club in 2026.
Ford is not the only Warriors player out on the sidelines with a long-term injury, joining Tanah Boyd and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, who are recovering from their ACL injuries.
James Fisher-Harris (calf), Leka Halasima (hamstring) and Alofiana Khan-Pereira (leg) are also all sidelined for the Warriors, while Kurt Capewell and Sam Healey return to the side this weekend after missing the game against the North Queensland Cowboys last weekend in Christchurch.
The Warriors play a key match in round 17 against the Dolphins on Saturday afternoon.
