Canberra are hopeful Jordan Rapana won't spend time on the sidelines with a rib injury, with coach Ricky Stuart confident his star winger hasn't suffered a break.
After already having been forced to fight back from a bad shoulder injury over the off-season, Rapana left the field early in Canberra's loss to Manly on Sunday.
The Kiwi winger appeared in significant pain as he struggled to get up from his next hit up after suffering the injury.
He will head for scans on Monday, but Stuart was hopeful the blow wasn't too serious ahead of next Saturday's clash with Penrith.
"I don't think it's broken," Stuart said.
"I think it's cartilage. If it is cartilage he will be okay. Hopefully it's okay."
Rapana is a noted fast healer.
The 29-year-old was meant to miss the opening two months of the season with his shoulder injury from New Zealand's end-of-year Tests, but was back in the NRL by round two.
Meanwhile, Stuart said ill-discipline was a bigger issue than his team's defence in the 24-20 loss to the Sea Eagles.
Canberra conceded more points than they have in any game this year, but it came as they lost the penalty count 13-5.
Stuart wasn't sure after the match if his team had been deserving of the lopsided count, or if there ruck speed was particularly slower than in previous weeks.
"Considering the amount of penalties that got - and that's not to say they were wrong - I thought we did a good job to get where we," Stuart said.
"In one or two instances there were some penalties there that were ill disciplined.
"But I haven't told them anything this week in regards to changing anything in the ruck. It was probably our turn."
