Damien Cook is understood to be out until the finals - so long as the South Sydney Rabbitohs make it to the top eight.
Cook was a late exclusion on Saturday afternoon, with his removal from the NRL team list to play the North Queensland Cowboys on Saturday evening raising eyebrows given the sudden and immediately unexplained nature.
It has now been revealed by The Daily Telegraph that COVID is the reason behind Cook's absence, with Siliva Havili named to come into the starting team while Michael Chee-Kam has been added to the interchange bench.
The publication reports that Cook only tested positive to a RAT test on Saturday morning, and with only a six-day turnaround between now and South Sydney's Round 25 clash against the Sydney Roosters, Cook will be unable to take part in that game either under the seven-day quarantine rules which are still in place for not just the NRL, but Australia as a nation.
The only way Cook will be able to take part in the Round 25 clash is if he passes a PCR test, and it's confirmed by it that the rapid test that has ruled him out of Saturday evening's game is a false positive.
South Sydney playing without Cook will now need to beat the Cowboys this evening to secure their place in the top eight.
A loss leaves them equal on points with both the Canberra Raiders and Brisbane Broncos, who could then sweep past them next week in respective games against the Wests Tigers and St George Illawarra Dragons.
With the Raiders and Broncos both expected to win, it would then be a requirement for the Rabbitohs to beat the Roosters should they lose tonight, with their for and against far superior and enough to see them into the top eight with one win from their last two games.
