South Sydney captain Sam Burgess could be a chance of taking on Canberra on Saturday after being cleared of broken ribs.
There were fears the star’s season was over when he left the field after a heavy tackle in the Rabbitohs’ NRL loss to Cronulla on Friday.
Scans have confirmed Burgess suffered a rib cartilage injury, but no bones were broken, and the club said he was a possibility to face the Raiders at ANZ Stadium.
Burgess is averaging a team-high 129 metres per game this season.
The Rabbitohs’ loss to the Sharks was their third in succession and leaves them six points out of the top eight, all but extinguishing any hope of making this year’s finals series.
The news is also good for Penrith skipper Matt Moylan, with scans also showing he hadn’t suffered any further damage to his hamstring in Saturday’s win over Gold Coast.
The Panthers five-eighth is considered a strong chance of taking on Canterbury on Thursday, with the team equal with eighth-placed St George Illawarra but in ninth spot.