Key Newcastle signing Rory Kostjasyn could miss the start of the NRL season after suffering a throat injury in a training mishap.
Kostjasyn, who joined the Knights from North Queensland in the off-season, was hospitalised after incurring the injury on Saturday and has since been released.
However he is expected to be out for a minimum of six to eight weeks.
He will be reassessed in four to six weeks to determine a return date to training.
The 29-year-old utility forward is a veteran of seven seasons in the NRL with Melbourne then the Cowboys, where he played in the 2015 grand final win.
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Along with ex-Manly forward Jamie Buhrer, Kostjasyn is expected to bring invaluable experience to a young Newcastle squad who struggled badly in finishing last in 2016.
