North Queensland Cowboys forward Mitchell Dunn will miss the remainder of the NRL season after suffering a torn ACL during a shock win over the Canberra Raiders on Saturday evening.
The Cowboys reversed a horrid Round 1 performance at home against the Canterbury Bulldogs to record their first victory of the season, beating the Raiders in a one-sided contest to the tune of 26 points to 6.
The win didn't come without its problems for North Queensland though, with experienced second rower Dunn tearing his ACL.
A club statement confirmed on Monday afternoon that the injury will require him to have surgery and miss the remainder of the season. The general recovery time for an ACL is around nine months, meaning Dunn could be hopeful of a return to full training around the Christmas period.
Off-contract at the end of the year, Dunn was fighting for a spot in Todd Payten's side this year alongside a crop of young edge forwards.
Heilum Luki, Jeremiah Nanai and Ben Condon were the three tipped to win spots in the pre-season, however, Tom Gilbert's shuffling to the edge has seen Dunn face more competition, with Condon unable to win a spot for Rounds 1 and 2.
With Luciano Leilua also set to join the Cowboys in 2023, the injury for Dunn in what was his 50th NRL game has come at a shocking time, with there being no guarantees on a new contract being awarded to the 25-year-old for 2023 and beyond.
It's thought Condon will come onto the bench for Dunn next week, although centre turned second rower Connelly Lemuelu is also a chance of lining up for the side.
The Cowboys team for their Round 3 clash against the Brisbane Broncos will be confirmed at 4pm (AEDT) on Tuesday afternoon, with the game to be played on Sunday afternoon in Brisbane.