Wests Tigers are off the mark for 2013 but have paid a heavy price for yesterday's NRL win over Penrith with prop Keith Galloway suffering a suspected torn pectoral muscle at Campbelltown Stadium.
The Tigers, hammered 42-10 by Newcastle in the opening round, rebounded with a five tries to three win, prop Aaron Woods scoring a double for the home side as he continued his recovery from minor knee surgery.
He might be forced to play without engine room buddy Galloway for a while, however, after the NSW Origin prop went straight up the tunnel just moments after halftime clutching his arm.
The Panthers also lost a key player to a similar injury, with Lachlan Coote forced off after only 11 minutes to spark a major reshuffle with skipper Kevin Kingston forced to fill in at five-eighth.
While the Tigers bagged the points, coach Michael Potter still has plenty of work to do, particularly in defence with his side conceding plenty of metres up the middle.