Penrith Panthers centre Paul Alamoti will go for scans after going down with a suspected hamstring injury in the second half of the side's clash against the Sydney Roosters on Thursday.
It was a double blow for the men at the foot of the mountains, who dropped down to second on the ladder for the first time in five months, while also growing concerned about the fitness of their star outside back.
Alamoti was ready to catch a pass in the attacking red zone when he pulled up hastily in a non-contact natured movement, quickly signalling discomfort and grabbing the back of his leg.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary admitted there was "a bit of a concern" for Alamoti in his post-match press conference, with Zero Tackle spotting the Tongan international with ice on his hamstring post full-time.
The Panthers coach was frustrated at the level of execution in key moments from his side, but also remained proud of his team's effort in a high-quality game with finals-like intensity.
"I felt like our execution let us down too often, especially at the wrong time," Cleary said in post-game.
"It put us under pressure a lot. I thought we were pretty resilient to stay in the game; we just couldn't put doubt in the opposition.
"I don't think we'll lose any friends tonight. They came up with some huge stops."
Alamoti has been tremendous for the Panthers in 2026 and has remained a constant threat out wide for opposition outside backs.
Recording a whopping 87 tackle breaks in 2026, Alamoti's best work comes in his yardage plays, averaging 136 metres per game this year.
The side was without inspirational leader Isaah Yeo for the first time, with his return date remaining cloudy in their run into the finals.
It puts the Roosters in the box seat to seal the minor premiership, placing them two points in front of the Panthers and stealing first place honours with three games to go.
The tri-colours are growing in confidence as the weeks go by, and did it tough without their star skipper James Tedesco, with veteran Daly Cherry-Evans stepping up with a dominant performance in his absence.
The club shape up as the form side of the competition, along with the New Zealand Warriors heading into the twilight rounds of the regular season.
The Roosters turn their attention to hosting the Wests Tigers in Moore Park on Sunday week, while the Panthers travel down to Melbourne to face a resurgent Storm side.
