KEY POINTS:
If losing Sonny Bill Williams and Frank Pritchard wasn't bad enough, the Kiwis are now facing up to a World Cup campaign withoutcaptain Roy Asotasi.
The 26-year-old prop forward suffered a suspected torn pectoral muscle in the dying stages of the Rabbitohs' 22-20 loss to the Roosters on Friday night. He went for scans yesterday but initial diagnoses did not look good. Injuries of this nature normally take 18-22 weeks to heal.
"It was the last run of the game, I got the ball and got tackled and when I got up it just felt weak straight away," a crestfallen Asotasi told reporters after the game.
"The chance [of my playing at the World Cup] is pretty slim. I feel the heartbreak already."
Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney was philosophical yesterday after hearing the news on the back of Williams' flight to France to play rugby and Pritchard's need for shoulder surgery at the end of the NRL season.
"It's a shame for him [Asotasi] and the Kiwis alike but there's not a lot we can do about it, unfortun-ately," Kearney said. "It's a tough, cruel game and you are always going to get injuries but it's a situation I would rather not come across. I'm not very hopeful about the outcome.
"Sonny Bill, Frank Pritchard and Roy Asotasi are class and they will be missed. But if there is one positive, it's that we do have a number of good forwards. We've got the likes of Jeff Lima, Nathan Cayless, Adam Blair, Fuifui Moimoi and Sam Rapira so there are a number of guys who can step up." Asotasi's playing abilities will not be the only thing missed. He took over as Kiwis captain in 2007 and played a leading role in forcing the resignation of Gary Kemble as coach and the appointment of Kearney and Wayne Bennett as replacements.
"I haven't thought that far ahead," Kearney said when asked about a replacement captain. "But it's a bit like the depth we have in the forwards.
"We have some very good leaders in the squad. Nathan Cayless is an obvious leader given the experience he has and [fullback] Brent Webb provides leadership from the back. I think we will be okay."
Rabbitohs coach Jason Taylor was reserving judgment on the tackle that injured Asotasi, after some in the Rabbitohs camp suggested Asotasi had been the victim of a 'chicken wing' tackle.
"We are going to need to check the tackle," the South Sydney coach said.
- ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AAP
