North Queensland are hopeful Jason Taumalolo’s knee injury diagnosis will confirm the wrecking-ball forward only misses a couple of NRL games.
The Tongan international suffered medial ligament damage after coming off second best in an eighth-minute tackle by Brisbane’s Tevita Pangai in Friday’s 29-10 loss to the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium.
Taumalolo didn’t play the second half of the defeat with Cowboys and he underwent scans upon the team’s return to Townsville over the weekend.
The 25-year-old is expected to earn the results of the scans on Monday and Cowboys staff are hopeful he has suffered a lower grade sprain rather than a complete tear and will miss only two or three matches.
The former Dally M Medallist suffered a grade two medial strain back in 2015 when he missed three weeks.
The Cowboys have further injury concerns with winger Nene Macdonald and utility John Asiata incurring head knocks in Friday’s loss.
MacDonald didn’t return from his knock just before halftime while Asiata underwent a HIA but returned for the game’s closing stages.
Coach Paul Green dismissed concerns about an apparent shoulder injury to halfback Michael Morgan.