South Sydney captain Cameron Murray sustained a wrist injury during training in the lead-up to the Kangaroos' Pacific Championships clash against New Zealand.
Playing through the injury, Murray now faces the possibility of missing the start of the 2025 NRL season.
Despite the setback, Murray displayed remarkable resilience, refusing to complain about the pain and insisting on taking the field for the important match.
Murray played the full 80 minutes with his left wrist strapped, delivering a standout performance with 50 tackles in Australia's 22-10 victory, securing the Kangaroos a spot in Sunday's final.
However, post-game scans revealed he had suffered a scapholunate injury, and he is scheduled to undergo surgery this week.
Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga praised Murray's courage and commitment.
โI know Cam had hurt it at training, but we didn't know the extent of it because he kept it quiet โ he never complained and just got on with business,โ Meninga told The Sydney Morning Herald.
โHe still had a terrific game, and it's not like it affected him. It's unfortunate it happened. The welfare of our players is the most important thing, but he felt like he could play, and he made that choice.โ
โWe're calling out for players to make themselves available for the international game, and he epitomises that.
"I know he loves playing the game and playing in the Australian colours. From my perspective, that's the exact kind of person you want putting on the Australian jersey.โ
Hudson Young is expected to fill in for Murray, which may impact the bench selection and force Meninga to consider calling in an additional player for support.
The Kangaroos will regroup for camp ahead of the Pacific Championships final, set to take place this Sunday at CommBank Stadium.
