Injury could have ended Robbie Farah's Wests Tigers career.
Farah was ruled out of the Tigers' reserve grade clash with Newcastle at Hunter Stadium on Sunday due to a hip injury.
It is the second successive NSW Super Premiership match Farah has missed due to the injury.
The reserve grade finals begin next week, a week before the NRL playoffs.
Farah is eligible for the first week of the finals but will be racing the clock to be fit.
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The NSW hooker is only eligible for the second week of the lower grade playoffs if Wests' first grade side qualifies for the finals.
To do that the Tigers have to defeat the Warriors and Canberra in their final two games and hope other results go their way.
Farah hasn't played since earning man-of-the-match honours in the Tigers' reserve grade win over Wentworthville at Campbelltown on August 13.
The 2005 Tigers premiership winner remains contracted to Concord for next season.
But given his falling out with coach Jason Taylor he is unlikely to see out that contract.
Farah has been strongly linked to South Sydney, where his brother Eddie works on coach Michael Maguire's support staff.
