Penrith Panthers dummy half Mitch Kenny will reportedly not play again until the NRL finals as he undergoes recovery from ankle surgery.
Ivan Cleary has been repeatedly quoted suggesting Kenny will be back, although the club have never revealed exactly which week.
It was originally tipped he would be back sometime before Round 23, however, that deadline is now looming large, with there still being no sign of the experienced hooker who is rated the next captain of the Panthers.
Kenny, who is an important cog in the Penrith machine although has been replaced well by Freddy Lussick, was injured during the Round 7 clash against the Dolphins in a hip drop tackle.
The 28-year-old has been in recovery ever since, with The Sydney Morning Herald now revealing the finals are his best-case scenario.
It means Lussick will continue to play the dummy half role for Cleary's side through the rest of the regular season before likely sliding back to a bench role during the knockout rounds.
Exactly what form Kenny will be in will mean the Panthers need to take a risk in selecting him, but he has been a crucial part of their success in recent years and there is no suggestion he would be overlooked for the finals if he isn't fit before then, particularly given Penrith will have a double chance in the first week of the finals barring a major disaster over the final five regular season rounds.
Kenny's recovery is also added to by the fact fullback Dylan Edwards is still not a guarantee to return for this week's big clash across the Tasman with the New Zealand Warriors.
Teams will be confirmed at 4pm (AEST) on Tuesday afternoon.
