Manly Sea Eagles forward Corey Waddell is set to spend a long stint on the sidelines.
During the Sea Eagles' win over the Eels, Waddell was helped from the field in the first half, and subsequent scans delivered the news that no player wants to hear.
The club has confirmed in an injury update that he suffered a ruptured left pectoral tendon and will have surgery on Thursday as Manly braces for a 12-week recovery process.
It's a bitter pill to swallow for Waddell, who exits on the back of four consecutive matches before their most critical match this Sunday against competition leaders Penrith Panthers.
Manly head to Commbank Stadium in round 9 on the road before returning home to play at 4 Pines Park against the Brisbane Broncos in Round 10.
Based on the 12-week timeline, Waddell could potentially be back sometime after round 20.
