Star Cronulla Sharks fullback William Kennedy has suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain that will keep him off the park for between six and eight weeks.
The injury diagnosis provided by the club means Kennedy won't be back during the regular season and will be racing the clock to play in the finals if the Sharks make it.
Six weeks would likely allow him to return for a semi-final, while eight weeks means Kennedy's first available opportunity to be back on the park would be the NRL grand final if the Sharks were to surprise all and make it that far.
Kennedy suffered the injury during Saturday's loss to the Penrith Panthers where they were held to nil, with serious questions asked over the club's credentials to play finals.
It's a horror blow for the Sharks, who are in a rut of form that won't get any easier to resolve when they head across the country to Perth to play the South Sydney Rabbitohs this weekend.
Saturday evening's game has seen coach Craig Fitzgibbon name utility Connor Tracey in Kennedy's usual number-one jumper, while Ronaldo Mulitalo returns for the black, white and blue on the wing.
In other bad news for the Sharks, forward Oregon Kaufusi misses the game against South Sydney after breaking his finger in the clash against the Penrith Panthers. It's unclear how many weeks the former Parramatta Eels' prop will be sidelined for.
Kennedy is joined on the sidelines by Dale Finucane and Teig Wilton, who are both out for the remainder of the season and will be likely fit for the start of pre-season in November.
If the Sharks lose to Souths at the weekend, then hopefully Craig Fitzgibbon will realise that the season is over, will drop some under-performing players, will give Nicho Hynes a rest and will bring in Atkinson, Iro and Tapuha for the rest of the season, to see what they can do.