STRIKE weapon Bradman Best faces a race against time to help Newcastle reach the finals and push his claims for a Kangaroos jersey in the process, after confirmation that he has suffered a high-grade hamstring injury.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Best, who scored the game-breaking try as NSW won the State of Origin series decider last week, crashed to earth with a thud when he broke down in the early minutes of Newcastle's 30-10 loss to Brisbane on Saturday.
The 22-year-old made for a forlorn sight as he limped off the field, but Knights coach Adam O'Brien was hopeful after the game that it would not be "a massive thing".
Scans, however, have subsequently revealed Best will be sidelined for several games, starting with Newcastle's daunting next assignment, against the Panthers at Penrith Stadium on Sunday week.
"It looks like it's high-grade, so the early analysis is he'll be out for quite a few weeks," Knights football director Peter Parr told the Newcastle Herald.
Parr was optimistic, nonetheless, that Best could yet return to stake a claim for a spot in Mal Meninga's Australian squad, who will play an end-of-season Test series against New Zealand and Tonga.
If chosen, Best could become Newcastle's first Kangaroos representative since Dane Gagai in 2017.
"We'll just have to see it responds," Parr said.
"It's too early yet to say his season is over. There's still quite a lot football to be played, so he may well get an opportunity to press his claims."
The injury is to Best's left hamstring, which he strained earlier in the season, forcing him to miss two games.
There were also concerns about his right hamstring in the lead-up to Origin III, and he has spent time on the sidelines in previous seasons with hamstring issues.
The Knights flew injury-plagued hooker Jayden Brailey to America in the pre-season to consult with reconditioning expert Bill Knowles, who has previously overseen recovery programs for Manly's Tim Trbojevic and South Sydney's Latrell Mitchell.
Parr said that option had not been discussed by Newcastle's medical staff.
"I don't think it's got to the stage where we think it's a chronic problem," Parr said.
"First and foremost, we believe our medical staff are highly competent, so I'm not convinced that's necessary, given the expertise we've got around the club.
"When we sent Jayden over, he'd had a lot of lower-limb problems with ACLs and his Achilles and it was a different scenario."
With Best unavailable, reliable Dylan Lucas would appear the most likely candidate to fill the vacancy on Newcastle's left edge.
Lucas has played in 16 NRL games this season, scoring five tries.
