Canberra Raiders star John Bateman is a big loss, but fellow English forward Ryan Sutton is confident they can cover him - even against reigning premiers Sydney Roosters.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Scans revealed Bateman has a small fracture of his eye socket, but they were unsure if he will require surgery or how long he could be out for until he meets with the doctor on Monday.
Recovery times usually vary from 4-10 weeks, although hopes are it's on the lower end of the scale.
Bateman injured himself when tackling Penrith Panthers powerhouse Viliame Kikau, with the two waging a personal battle over the opening 25 minutes of the Raiders' 30-12 win at Wagga Wagga on Saturday.
The 25-year-old failed his head injury assessment and was immediately taken to hospital for scans.
He's been a revelation since joining the Green Machine and has been a key behind their charge to third on the NRL ladder.
Sutton was unsure whether Joe Tapine (ankle) was ready to return, but he could be an option if fit - although the Raiders expect him back round 15-17.
MORE RAIDERS NEWS
Sutton backed Hudson Young after his efforts off the bench in Bateman's absence.
Young scored his maiden NRL try, ran for 55 metres, made 21 tackles, a line break and four tackle busts in his 55 minutes.
The Raiders also have Jack Murchie who could come, while coach Ricky Stuart could shift Josh Papalii or Sia Soliola from the middle.
Stuart has been rotating his young forwards on the bench during the opening rounds, but he said after the Penrith win that form would be the sole factor going forward.
"He's one of those people you want to play with, he's a really good leader and it will be a big loss for us, but on the flip side of it we've got players that can fill in the role," Sutton said.
"I don't know how 'Taps' is looking, but if Taps isn't ready I reckon you could chuck 'Huddo' there. I thought he did all right ... he got that good try and for a young lad he's pretty steady."
Sutton was looking forward to the challenge of facing the Roosters for the first time since his move from Wigan in the English Super League.
He's been excellent at lock, where he's averaging 118 metres and 33 tackles in his 50 minutes per game.
The 23-year-old will get to test himself against a Roosters middle containing Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Siosiua Taukeiaho.
"You can only test yourself against the best ... you only have to look at their middle pack and they've got internationals everywhere so it's going to be a really good test," Sutton said.
"We're going to look forward to it and that's what we want - the physical battle."
NRL ROUND NINE
Sunday: Canberra Raiders v Sydney Roosters at Suncorp Stadium, 2pm.