Jamie Lyon's NRL career is all but over after the Manly captain confirmed his troublesome hamstring will likely keep him out of his team's final two games of the season.
The 34-year-old has already been ruled out of the Sea Eagles' final home game of the year on Saturday, denying him a Brookvale Oval farewell, and is a longshot for round 26.
"I've been trying to get back for the last game, but it's not looking the best," said Lyon.
"It's a little bit frustrating, but it is what it is.
"I've done the injury before, I know what it's like. It's not the best of timings, but that's footy.
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"I would've loved to be out there with the boys, and had one last game at Brookie. But I've had a lot of games over the years at that ground and played with some great players."
Renowned as one of the game's best centres, Lyon spent his past six games at five-eighth, but re-aggravated his hamstring in last week's captain's run.
"It was a pretty big pull, so I didn't feel real flash. I've done it a couple of times over the years so I know how annoying it is," he said.
Coach Trent Barrett said there was an immediate hush among the playing group at the time.
"They were pretty devastated, to be honest. The session did stop for a while because we all know what the outcome was going to be when he did do it at training," he said.
"Everyone feels really sorry for Killer (Lyon).
"We wanted to send him out this weekend at Brookie. But we've just got to get on with it now and make sure Killer still gets the send off he deserves."
The injury all but brings to an end to a glittering 17-year career that includes two premierships, four grand finals, eight Kangaroos jumpers and 10 State of Origin appearances for NSW.
He is a four-time Dally M centre of the year, two-time Dally M captain of the year, and the winner of Super League's prestigious Man of Steel award in 2005.
He also falls just six games shy of joining the rare 300-game club.
"Without the injury, he probably would've got there this year," Barrett said.
"His career needs to be celebrated. He'll go down as one of the club's greatest players and certainly one of the game's greatest centres, in my opinion."
