The Brisbane Broncos have taken an unwanted hit to their depth ahead of the State of Origin period, with Tristan Sailor and Benjamin Te Kura both facing extended stints on the sideline.
While the news for the youngsters is bad, the prognosis for Billy Walters is far better.
The hooker will miss this weekend's Magic Round clash against the Manly Sea Eagles with a wrist injury, but the Broncos have confirmed he is a chance to return next weekend against the Gold Coast Titans in a local derby.
"Billy picked up a wrist ligament strain against the Tigers a few weeks ago and then copped a knock on it against the Eels on Friday night," Broncos head of performance Dave Ballard said in the club statement.
"He is recovering well but we will take a conservative approach and he will sit out this week. He is a chance to play next week but we will be guided by how he progresses at training."
Sailor, on the other hand, has suffered a high ankle sprain and will require surgery.
"Tristan will miss 4-6 weeks with a high ankle sprain picked up playing for Souths Logan in the same game as Ben. He will have surgery this week and move into his rehab program once the injury settles down," Ballard said.
The recovery time for Sailor will rule him out until at least Round 14, but likely through to past Origin 2. In a lucky turn for the Broncos, the club have byes before both Origin 1 and 2, but Sailor won't be on hand to replace Walsh after either game if he is unable to back up.
Sailor should be fit to play in the lead up to Origin 3 when Brisbane face the St George Illawarra Dragons at home.
Te Kura meanwhile has suffered a "serious" Lisfranc injury in his foot and will spend at least four months out.
"Ben suffered a serious injury to his Lisfranc joint while playing for South Logan Magpies in the HostPlus Cup over the weekend and will require surgery in the next few days. He will need at least four months of recovery time and the club will provide him with all the support he requires as he goes throught the rehab process," Ballard said.
The injury all but ends the season for the towering young forward who will now focus on cracking consistent first grade playing time in 2025.
