Wests Tigers prop Alex Twal looks like he's about to make a mockery of his own scan results.
The MCL injury that floored him in the Tigers' Round 10 win over the Bulldogs was initially expected to keep him out for four to six weeks, a brutal blow for a forward who'd been enjoying arguably the best form of his career before going down.
Instead, Twal has teased a return to the side as early as next week, which would have him back on the field after just three weeks on the sideline, roughly half the worst-case timeline first put on the injury.
"I should be back hopefully next week or the week after," Twal told Channel Nine.
It's a timely bit of good news buried inside what's been a horror run of injuries for the joint venture this season.
Between Adam Doueihi and Taylan May's shoulder, as well as Samuela Fainu's foot and Kai Pearce-Paul needing surgery after sustaining a left pectoral muscle injury against the Titans, it has been a series of unfortunate and poorly timed events.
Twal's absence alone has forced a reshuffle through the middle of the pack, with Sione Fainu and Alex Seyfarth promoted to be in the starting forward pack.
It would hand Benji Marshall back one of the genuine bright spots of the Tigers' season at a point where the side could use exactly that kind of lift.
