Kangaroos halfback Nathan Cleary will miss the World Cup and Panthers team-mates Isaah Yeo and Dylan Edwards are in doubt, while the fate of Kiwis hooker Phoenix Crossland may rest in the hands of the NRL judiciary.
Crossland was sent off in Newcastle's 22-14 elimination of Penrith for an ugly hip drop tackle that left Cleary with a compound fracture of his left ankle and has put his grand final dream in severe jeopardy.
With father Ivan looking on from the coach’s box and the rest of his family in the stands at Accor Stadium, Cleary was taken from the field on a medicab in extreme pain.
He watched the second half in an ambulance, with mother Rebecca riding in the front seat, after being taken to hospital for surgery.
The incident occurred just 10 minutes after Cleary had taken the field midway through the first half following the shock move to start him on the interchange due to a foot injury, which Ivan later revealed was broken.
"I think that's why I was even more emotional on what happened to him, how hard he worked and what he put himself through to get himself to play today," Cleary said. "I didn't know it was a compound fracture."
In further news set to have huge ramifications for the opening match of the World Cup between the Kangaroos and Kiwis on October 15 at Allianz Stadium, he also revealed that Edwards had suffered a PCL injury, while Yeo has been playing with a ruptured bicep.
"We have probably just fallen apart a bit," Cleary told the post-match press conference at Accor Stadium.
"The guy sitting next to me is also playing with a full ruptured pec, which I don't know if that has been done before, and Dyl Edwards ruptured his PCL in the first half tonight, and he played on."
Samoa also suffered a blow in Sunday’s preliminary final after Panthers back Blaize Talagi suffered an Achilles injury in the second half, while Crossland will now faces an anxious wait to learn if his World Cup hopes are also over.
Crossland was given his marching orders by referee Gerard Sutton, who told him and Knights captain Kalyn Ponga: "Initially he's up high, he makes a definite action to twist. He comes down on the leg with weight. There's extreme risk of serious injury. You're off".
He was expected to play the No.14 role for the Kiwis, with Jeremy Marshall-King to start at hooker. If Crossland receives a lengthy ban, Brandon Smith is likely to be his replacement in the Kiwis squad.
For Australia, the loss of Cleary will leave Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters to choose between Mitchell Moses, Sam Walker and Tom Dearden to partner Cameron Munster in the halves.
Dearden was the bench utility in the Australian side during last year’s Ashes series against England, while Moses was the back-up to Cleary but didn’t see any game time in any of the three Tests.
However, Walker could be a premiership winning halfback when the Kangaroos squad is named after leading Sydney Roosters to a place in the grand final in Friday night’s win over the Dolphins just four weeks after undergoing surgery for a syndesmosis injury.
Walker made his State of Origin debut for Queensland earlier this year and could finish the season as a World Cup player.
If Australia pick Moses, it would be a massive blow for Lebanon after he captained the Cedars at the last World Cup in 2022. Boom Bullldogs playmaker Alex Conti is set to play for Lebanon.
If Edwards is ruled out, it would open the door for the recall of former Kangaroos captain James Tedesco, who led Australia to victory at the last World Cup in England in 2022.
Yeo, who is the Kangaroos captain, has repeatedly insisted he wants to play at the World Cup.
"I will have to talk to the club because it will affect the start of next season if I prolong it, so that is probably a conversation for next week with the staff," Yeo said.
The Kangaroos side is set to be announced after the NRL grand final.
Source: NRL