Brisbane fullback Tesi Niu's NRL season is at risk of being ruined by a hamstring injury, with fears he will miss up to four months with a bad tear.
Niu will see a specialist this week to find out if he requires surgery on the muscle, after limping off early in the Broncos' 40-12 loss to Penrith on Friday night.
Even in a best-case scenario the Broncos believe Niu will miss at least 10 weeks with a grade-three tear, with scans confirming the severity.
But there are also fears he will require surgery which would keep him out for up to four months and leaving him able to return only weeks from the finals.
"Tesi will see the specialist later this week to determine if he will require any surgery, and we will move forward from there," Brisbane said in a statement.
"We are looking at a recovery period of at least 10 weeks without an operation, and up to four months if surgery is required.
"Tesi is second-to-none in terms of his commitment to preparation and rehab, and we will provide him all the support he needs as he works his way back to full fitness."
The injury comes as a devastating blow to the 20-year-old, who suffered an injury in the other hamstring during the pre-season and missed round one.
Brisbane used Jamayne Isaako to fill in for Niu but he has since left for Gold Coast.
It means the injury could fast-track Selwyn Cobbo's move to the No.1 jersey, after he spent time there in the pre-season.
