The Penrith Panthers may have suffered a significant blow to their finals run with James Fisher-Harris set to undergo scans for an injury he sustained last week.
Fisher-Harris has been a standout out for the club during the Origin period, where several stars were unavailable due to representative responsibilities, and has been the leader of the forward pack with Moses Leota.
As reported byย The Daily Telegraph, the 2023 Golden Boot winner will undergo scans to determine the extent of an abductor injury he sustained last week but is set to be ruled out for Round 22.
The news comes as Penrith Panthers are set to unveil another debutant this weekend with Daine Laurie (concussion) and Dylan Edwards (PCL) sidelined with injuries.
Named as the club's 18th man multiple times this season,ย Isaiah Iongi is a chance to make his NRL first-grade debut this weekend against the Newcastle Knights.
Already making headways at the club, Iongi was named the club's Jersey Flegg Player of the Year in 2022 and has represented the U19s QLD Maroonsย team in the past.
Scoring five tries and providing 18 try assists from 24 matches in reserve grade last season, he has continued his form this season with five tries, four try assists, eight line-breaks and 2695 total running metres in 15ย NSW Cupย appearances.
Although he has yet to make his first-grade debut, he has already caught the attention of incumbent fullbackย Dylan Edwards, who praised the youngster and told fans to keep an eye on him in the future.
"He's been awesome. He's been awesome for a little bit now," Edwards toldย Zero Tackle.
"He's trained with us for a while. He always trains really well and he's a good skillful player.
"I think when he gets a crack, you can expect a lot of energy, really safe, really reliable player, so he's one to watch out for."
However, Ivan Cleary may also go in the direction of Fijian international Sunia Turuva, who has shown in the past that he has the skill to play the fullback role, having done so in the past and in the international scene.
Needing to shuffle up his backline this week, recruit Asu Kepaoa, who joined from the Wests Tigers and impressed in the NSW Cup over the past few weeks, is also a chance to make his club debut.
