Cronulla Sharks lock Dale Finucane could be set for an extended stint on the sideline following suffering a concussion last week against the Melbourne Storm.
Finucane has a long history with head knocks, having suffered two last season - his final at the Storm.
The return to his former home ground ended just seven minutes in however, with Finucane visibly showing concussion symptoms after a knock, before being ruled out of the game by the bunker's independent doctor irrespective of assessment results.
Finucane has made an excellent start to the season for Cronulla, with the Bega-born forward making 177 tackles in his first five games while recording just four misses, in addition to averaging 106 metres per game.
Head coach Craig Fitzgibbon, who has often commented on the work rate and ethic he and fellow recruit Cameron McInnes have brought to the team, told reporters on Wednesday that they would consider a possible extended rest for Finucane.
"We'll look into that (possible extended rest) and see how he's going," Fitzgibbon said.
"They're all treated differently. There's a knock-on effect and how they pull up post-event (to consider).
"He was fine and there were no lingering side effects or anything like that.
"We'll follow the protocols, but we won't rush anything, that's for sure."
Zero Tackle analysis showed that the Sharks were a top-four team if every game finished at halftime in 2021, conceding just 226 points during the first halves of games, while they finished in 14th place for second half performance, conceding 332 points - a difference of 106 across the season.
Finucane's presence has made a major difference in the middle third during second halves already, with the Sharks only dropping two of their first six games to sit in third spot on the table, conceding just 90 points at 15 per game.
Finucane has been replaced at lock by Cameron McInnes for Thursday's clash with the Manly Sea Eagles, while Briton Nikora returns in the second row.
Kick-off is at 7:50pm (AEST).
