South Sydney are preparing themselves for the possibility of captain Sam Burgess being forced into early retirement due to ongoing injuries.
Burgess turns 31 in December this year, and was recently ruled out of the upcoming Great Britain tour after sustaining a chronic shoulder injury that denied him from playing a full season with he Rabbitohs.
It was reported by Fox Sports that Burgess has just 25 per cent bone left in the shoulder area.
Burgess has already conceded the fact that he won't be able to see out the four-year deal that was announced last year.
There are great fears that he won't be right for the beginning of next season, with concern around the chronic arthritis.
"It's a bit early for that call," Rabbitohs head of football Shane Richardson told SMH.
After already undergoing two full shoulder reconstructions, the 30-year-old required more surgery midway through the NRL season. Although renowned for playing through the pain, the injury certainly affected him during the Rabbitohs' preliminary finals loss to Canberra.
Burgess is undeniably concerned about how he will perform next season, despite having a high pain threshold for the majority of his career.
The news piles on for Souths, who earlier this year dealt with NRL legend Greg Inglis impending retirement following chronic shoulder and knee problems.
The inspirational captain's brother, Tom, is optimistic about the Souths leader continuing his career at any level.
"Obviously he missed a few games this year and he's made the smart decision, I think," he said.
"If you're missing more than a couple of games a year through chronic injury then you've got to think about it. You speak to the medical staff and make a smart decision.
"He needs to recuperate his body properly in the off-season. He'll get his body right and get himself right for next year.
"He's very determined to get it right and I'm sure he will."