The North Queensland Cowboys will be forced to shake up their backline next Saturday night when they face inner-state rivals, The Dolphins.
It is understood that centre Tom Chester is expected to spend several weeks on the sidelines after he left the field with a hamstring injury midway through the opening half against the Panthers.
Filling in for Zac Laybutt (out for the season with an ACL injury), Chester is no stranger to injuries, having missed the majority of last season with a torn ACL.
With his poor luck with injuries unfortunately continuing, Todd Payten will be forced to make a backline change but has limited options available.
Viliami Vailea has emerged as the frontrunner, but Payten may also decide to select Papua New Guinea international Robert Derby.
Brought up through the Melbourne Storm system, Derby has only made one NRL appearance (Round 13 in 2023 against the Parramatta Eels), spending most of his time plying his trade in the QLD Cup.