Canberra Raiders half Ata Hingano is set to undergo shoulder surgery this week which will sideline him for six months.
The 21-year old suffered a dislocated shoulder earlier in the month during Tonga's loss to the Kangaroos.
Scans determined that surgery was the only option for Hingano, which would take six months to recover from, meaning the earliest he could return for the Raiders would be round 6-8 of the 2019 NRL season.
Meanwhile, skipper Jarrod Crocker will return to running with the main group to begin Canberra's pre-season, and will resume a full-training program after Christmas.
Hingano and Crocker are the only two current injured players on the Raiders' list.