Canberra Raiders captain Jarrod Croker could have played his last NRL game after the club confirmed on Friday afternoon that his season is over.
Croker requires surgery on a dislocated shoulder, with scans confirming the bad news.
With the season already half over, and a five-month recovery likely, it means Croker won't take to the field in any competition again this year.
More concerning for Croker is his history with injuries, and while he has fought through painful knee issues - and had a stem-cell career-saving treatment over the off-season - his chances of making a full return to the NRL in 2023, which is the final year of his contract (although he has a player option in his favour for 2024) at the club - seem slim.
He returned to the NRL in Round 9, but dislocated his shoulder at the back end of the same game as he attempted to save a try.
Ahead of his slated return in Round 12 though, Croker redislocated his shoulder at home reaching for the TV remote.
It leaves him with yet more time on the sideline, and by the time the start of the 2023 season rolls around, Croker will have played just 13 games in since March, 2021.
He is, however, on 292 NRL appearances with only eight to go in an attempt to join the NRL's exclusive 300-club - a club which is even more exclusive for one-club players, with Croker a part of Canberra's fabric since he played 21 games in his debut year during 2009.
Croker has given no indication he is willing to hang up the boots, however, the latest set back could cause a reconsideration.
The club have confirmed he will undergo surgery in the coming weeks.
