The South Sydney Rabbitohs have confirmed both Cameron Murray and Tallis Duncan will need multiple weeks on the sideline in a bitter blow to the club's finals chances.
Murray has suffered a Grade 2 calf strain during the club's surprise loss to the Canberra Raiders on Saturday afternoon.
The injury will see him miss either three or four weeks, with the NSW Blues star likely to have played a significant role during that time, with South Sydney facing a tricky run to the finish line and likely needing at least three wins to make the finals.
Joining him on the sideline will be Tallis Duncan, with the second-rower and centre facing two to three weeks on the sideline himself over a hamstring strain.
The versatile rising star has been a Mr. Fix It type operator for Wayne Bennett this year, rotating between the second-row and centres pending on team needs and other injuries from week to week.
Despite the lack of cohesion, he has still been one of the club's best.
The Rabbitohs face the Melbourne Storm and Cronulla Sharks over the next fortnight, before Duncan could be back for the game against the Eels in Round 23, and Murray will return against either the Canterbury Bulldogs in Round 24, or the New Zealand Warriors in Round 25.
In other news, the Rabbitohs have confirmed Latrell Mitchell is undergoing further consultation with specialists in a bid to get back on the field, but remains a week-to-week proposition as for a return to play timeline.
Adding to the complexity for the Rabbitohs in the forwards is the fact David Fifita faces the judiciary on Tuesday evening and could miss this weekend's clash with traditional bogey club the Melbourne Storm, who themselves will need to win almost every game from here to the end of the season to qualify for the top eight.
South Sydney head coach Wayne Bennett has named Latrell Siegwalt in the centres, and Lachlan Hubner at lock, to take over from the injured duo, with Bronson Garlick and Jayden Sullivan slotting onto the bench.
There is also some speculation Jack Wighton is battling a hamstring problem of himself, which could pave the way for Edward Kosi to come back into the first-grade side after he was named in Jersey 21 on Tuesday afternoon.
If Fifita is out, then either Liam Le Blanc or Garlick would likely start on the edge, with Thomas Fletcher and Peter Mamouzelos the players joining Kosi as the standby players on the reserves list.
South Sydney's must-win clash against Melbourne will be played on Friday evening at Homebush.
