NRL: Injury to rib sidelines Lockyer

Broncos captain Darren Lockyer may miss two matches. Photo / Getty Images

BRISBANE - Brisbane captain Darren Lockyer is set to miss two NRL matches with a rib cartilage injury.

Lockyer saw a doctor yesterday and was advised he should take two weeks off to recover from the injury suffered in a crunching tackle by Luke O'Donnell during last Friday's 34-26 win over North Queensland in Townsville.

The Australian test skipper is likely to miss Friday's game against Parramatta in Brisbane and the round 24 game against Newcastle at Newcastle.

That is good news for Parramatta, who are facing judicial woes with forwards Ben Smith and Fuifui Moimoi both sure to come under heavy scrutiny from the NRL match review committee after late and high tackles on Gold Coast skipper Scott Prince in their 34-12 loss to the Titans.

It was a defeat which left the Eels needing to win their last four games to make a run at the top eight, though it is likely even that may not be enough with Parramatta also needing other sides to falter in the home stretch.

But a win over the Broncos is a must and the odds of that occurring lifted with the Lockyer developments.

"My call today, right now would be that he won't [play]," Broncos chief executive Bruno Cullen said yesterday.

"It's a rib cartilage injury ... certainly very few people play the next week.

"He was in a lot of pain on the field as he came off. I won't say 100 per cent that he won't play, but if I was a punter I'd be betting that he wouldn't."

Brisbane's injury worries are nothing compared with those facing South Sydney, who will be without up to nine players for their trip to Melbourne to play the Storm on Sunday.

Five-eighth John Sutton will not play again this season because of a dislocated shoulder, coach John Lang needing to unearth a new halves partner for Chris Sandow as his side walks the finals tightrope.

Winger Nathan Merritt could be another absentee after being placed on report for a high tackle in Saturday's dramatic golden point win over Wests Tigers.

By contrast, the news just gets better for Gold Coast after they climbed back into the top four with New South Wales representative Greg Bird to return from a hamstring complaint against a North Queensland side minus Johnathan Thurston, who will not play again this NRL season because of a fractured foot.

Bird's return leaves coach John Cartwright with an interesting dilemma given Mat Rogers' strong recent play at five-eighth.

The veteran former dual international was cleared of significant damage after leaving Friday night's game with a shin injury.

- AAP