The Sydney Roosters' bid to salvage their NRL season has been bolstered after vice-captain Luke Keary was cleared of a fractured jaw.
Keary received an accidental boot in the face from Dominic Young while making a defensive play on the Newcastle winger and left the field immediately in the Roosters' 18-16 win on Saturday.
The incident caused alarm since Keary broke his jaw in a pre-season training accident, but scans on Monday cleared him of another fracture.
Roosters centre Billy Smith said the news was a major boost for the Roosters, who are 11th on the NRL ladder after seven wins and seven losses.
"If (Keary's) available then that's awesome," Smith said.
"He's a world-class player and I love playing outside him."
Keary will be monitored by Roosters medical staff in the lead-up to round 17.
Second-row forward Sitili Tupouniua, who badly corked his thigh in the same match, is also under fitness cloud.
Once premiership favourites, the Roosters have endured a tumultuous season marred by injuries and tough losses.
They have escaped with narrow wins over Canterbury and the Knights in their past two matches but have been far from convincing.
"Obviously it's been disappointing but we haven't lost sight of who we are as a club and who we are as a team," Smith said.
But with a cluttered premiership ladder, Smith believes his side can make the finals.
"We're only a couple of wins out of the four," Smith said.
"It just shows the type of footy that everyone's playing and it's crazy. You can never go into a game thinking you're going to win. It's always going to be a tight one."
The Roosters will face their next challenge against Canberra on Sunday.
Meanwhile, North Queensland have confirmed talented second-rower Heilum Luki will miss "multiple weeks" with the facial fracture he suffered in Friday's defeat of Penrith.
The fracture is the latest setback for Luki, who went down with an ACL injury last year, only to spend more time sidelined with a hamstring strain suffered three weeks after returning to the field.
Finally hitting form after a dire start to the season, the Cowboys expect to have a more concrete timeline for Luki's return later this week.
