The PNG Kumuls are set to suffer a massive blow ahead of their upcoming World Cup campaign in October.
The NRL's top try scorer of all time, Alex Johnston, is set to miss the tournament with Papua New Guinea, with News Corp reporting he has both knee and finger surgery booked in.
Johnston is the franchise star player for the international side, and would've no doubt been an automatic selection in the back line for Kumuls coach Jason Demetriou.
Johnston has been nursing the double injury during the backend of the NRL season and has been forced to make the tough decision to skip the World Cup to be fit and firing for his final season at South Sydney in 2027.
Port Moresby is hosting two double-headers during the tournament, which would have made for an exciting outing for locals to get a glimpse at a few future PNG Chiefs stars, which would've included Johnston.
Now Demetrio is forced with the task of replacing Johnston's elite experience and leadership in a bid to push themselves into Cup-winning contention.
Here's who Zero Tackle thinks he should pick in his 19.
Demetriou could view Sea Eagles rookie Josh Feledy as an option to add to his back line following Johnston's looming omission.
Feledy, who has put his hand up to represent the Kumuls when interviewed by PNG journalists, has had a solid year at Manly, getting plenty of NRL-level reps under his belt.
Included was a hat-trick off the bench in four runs against Grand Finalist Newcastle Knights in August.
Plenty of Feledy's game-time in 2026 came because of injury, where he was thrust into the contest from the six-man bench.
Never looking out of place, there are now calls for Feledy to own the vacant starting centre position left by Reuben Garrick for 2027.
“Mum was born in PNG, Grandad was born there and I am 90 per cent sure that his dad was born there too," Feledy said to NRL.com following Manly's win over South Sydney in June.
“Growing up I heard lots of stories, my grandad loved it over there. He always spoke to me about the Kumuls and his time in Papua New Guinea, so it would mean a lot to play for the Kumuls."
Demetrio can also look at Cowboys winger Robert Derby, who is an option to join the Kumuls back line.
Derby has made eight appearances at Test level for PNG, but despite limited time in the Cowboys NRL side this year, he is in for a big chance to feature somewhere in the 19-man side.
Tall winger with plenty of speed, Derby produced 20 tries in 32 QLD Cup matches in the 2022 and 2023 seasons combined.
In his eight Tests, he has scored eight tries in PNG colours.
Another candidate for an outside back position is Townsville Blackhawks gun Dudley Dotoi, a rapid winger who had a freakish try scoring knack.
In 2026 for the Blackhawks, he has registered 25 tries in 18 appearances with an impressive 11 try assists coming with it.
To go with his ability to cross the white line comes his yardage work, getting through an average of over 160 metres per game, which is likely to catch the attention of Demetrio.
Broncos rookie Phillip Coates is also pushing for a Kumuls World Cup debut after impressing in the junior grades with Queensland Under-19s.
The younger brother of Xavier, Phillip has an uncanny resemblance to the towering Storm winger.
Barring injury, both brothers at some point likely to don PNG colours on the international scale side-by-side one day.
"It's been on my mind, so I would love to represent the Kumuls in the World Cup but I've just got to keep performing and doing well," Coates said to NRL.com in May.
"I'm just getting my confidence up and hopefully I can get a couple more (NRL) games in, but just really working on little things in Q-Cup and it would be good."
Zac Laybutt is also in the picture to return for the World Cup, with five Tests of experience to his name.
Kumuls will face Lebanon, Samoa and England in the group stages during October's tournament.
It will be a fantastic spectacle when Chiefs inaugural signing Luai and latest addition Brian To'o run out onto Port Moresby soil for Samoa in Week 2.
The duo will be met with plenty of cheers from Kumuls fans in anticipation of their arrival in PNG in the late months of 2027.
The Kumuls kick off their campaign hosting Lebanon at Santos National Football Stadium on October 17.
