Phoenix Crossland's suspension could prove to be a lengthy problem for the New Zealand Kiwis heading into the Rugby League World Cup.
Now that he has copped four matches from the NRL judiciary, the Kiwis will quickly need to regroup ahead of the tournament, to be held in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
Head coach of the Kiwis, Stacey Jones, is left with a major decision to make: Crossland's replacement.
Crossland was referred directly to the NRL judiciary following his hip drop tackle that ended Nathan Cleary's season, including his World Cup sights.
The Knights dummy-half had a fantastic season and established himself as an almost walk-up selection for the Kiwis.
New Zealand will be called to make an SOS just weeks before the biggest international event in the Rugby League calendar.
The immediate solution is naming Jeremy Marshall-King as the starting dummy-half for the Kiwis. Marshall-King has had an outstanding season for the Dolphins, with many considering him the first option.
The New Zealand-born hooker has 169 appearances in the NRL to his name and has played a significant part in the Dolphins' success this season, evidenced by the team's uptick once he came back from injury.
But the bigger question is, who sits behind Marshall-King?
Brandon Smith has been amongst the conversations around the New Zealand squad.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs dummy-half had a good season with the Bunnies that provided team of the week selections throughout the season.
Smith offers something different from Marshall-King, with Smith's strength being his ability to inject himself through the middle, making him a valuable interchange option.
As Crossland's absence is confirmed, the likely inclusion of Brandon Smith becomes increasingly stronger with the depth in the squad required for the Kiwis.
Smith has represented the Kiwis in 13 test matches and has experience on the international stage, making him valuable for Stacey Jones.
However, will Jones stick with experience or look outside the original group?
A wildcard contender for Crossland's replacement is New Zealand Warriors dummy-half, Wayde Egan.
The Warriors star had an impressive season with the side, finishing the regular season with 13 try assists, 15 line-break assists and appearing in 25 matches.
But his statistics aren't the problem; it's his eligibility.
Born in Lithgow, Australia, Egan joined the Warriors ahead of their 2020 season, and this has opened the possibility of Egan representing the Kiwis.
Egan can be eligible for the New Zealand side under the requirement stating that a player has continuously spent at least 60 months (five years) immediately before selection.
However, throughout COVID, the Warriors were forced to spend three seasons in Australia, making Egan's eligibility questionable.
Either way, it would need to be ticked off in a hurry by the IRL, particularly given he wasn't named in the extended 40-man group a few weeks ago.
The Warriors star has previously stated that we would be open to representing New Zealand if Stacey Jones made the call.
Although the Warriors player would be open to the opportunity, he has spoken about not taking the opportunity away from someone he believes deserves to represent the country more authentically.
This adds another element to the decision for Jones, although Egan's season is hard to ignore when thinking of selections.
A part of the wider conversation about hookers to represent the New Zealand Kiwis is Danny Levi.
Born in Wellington, Levi is a dummy-half playing in the Super League for the Leeds Rhinos. He has also previously played for the Kiwis in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup after a great season with the Newcastle Knights.
However, Levi's situation is far more complicated than other options. He is currently listed as a Samoa World Cup player.
This would mean that his potential call-up is more than just a late replacement; Levi would have to switch his current allegiance - although that happens often enough in the NRL, with Levi playing four Tests for the black and white previously.
Jeremy Marshall-King will most likely be picked as the starting dummy-half, with Brandon Smith set to follow to provide depth.
