Canberra's premiership aspirations could take a hit with Raiders forward Junior Paulo awaiting scan results after leaving the field with rib cartilage damage on Sunday.
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Paulo went for scans on Monday after showings signs of discomfort early in the second half against Parramatta.
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart will be sweating on the results — expected to come through on Tuesday — for an injury that could potentially take up to six weeks to heal, though it can be needled and managed.
While the worst-case scenario would be a season-ending injury, a six-week absence could see the Raiders without the 123-kilogram wrecking ball until the grand final on October 2 — should they make it that far.
Paulo's front-row partner Shannon Boyd said it would take a collective effort from Canberra's forward pack to cover the loss of barnstorming 22-year-old.
"There's no individuals, it's a group game and everyone's got to do it together, not just one person," Boyd said.
"It's always good to start with Junior, he does a lot of work. We've been starting pretty well together.
"Someone's going to have to fill his shoes. Not so much me but it's going to have to be someone else that's starting with me. Hopefully Junior is all right but we'll wait and see what happens."
Boyd's comments reflect the 'team effort' mantra instilled in the playing group by Stuart, who has transformed a team of misfits into premiership contenders.
The perennial also-rans are riding an eight-game winning streak with two games left before the finals series, having shocked the competition's top two teams in the past two weeks.
Speaking after the game Stuart said his side was "living off everyone's contributions" in the absence of a superstar player in the realm of Jonathan Thurston or Cameron Smith.
It was Stuart that drafted Boyd into first grade ahead of Canberra's 2014 season-opener, and the Cowra product said the bond within the playing group was stronger than ever under the former Test halfback.
"Stick [Stuart] has done a really good job down here," Boyd said.
"[He's] got all the boys in line, and everyone's playing well for each other and we're all good mates so it's all working for us."
Canberra face a stern test to round out the regular season with back-to-back trips up the Hume Highway, but the 23-year-old was brimming with confidence.
The Raiders have lost four away games this year, and only one since round 10. It is a stark contrast to the club's away record of 13 wins since 2013, a figure inflated by seven wins last season.
"We travel well when we go away, so we enjoy each other's company so we get up there and we do our thing," Boyd said.
"I think we always seem to play pretty well when we go away, so if we can just keep that up and concentrate on it week by week and just get everyone's bodies right, we should be all right."
