Dylan Napa's State of Origin ambitions have hit a speed bump after the Sydney Roosters prop was ruled out for up to a month with an ankle injury.
The Roosters prop has been diagnosed with a low-grade syndesmosis injury suffered in Friday's loss to Manly.
He is certain to miss Thursday's crunch NRL clash with Brisbane, and Roosters doctors say he could miss up to four rounds.
Not only is it a blow to the Roosters who suffered their first loss of the season against Manly, it's a big setback for Napa who is in the frame for a Queensland call up for the Origin series opener on May 31.
Should Napa miss the side's clashes with the Broncos, Newcastle, St George Illawarra and the Warriors, it would give him just two games to press his case before Kevin Walters announces his team for game one.
His Roosters teammate and Maroons forward Aidan Guerra said he was confident it wouldn't dent Napa's chances of a representative debut, insisting he had done enough to put his name up in lights.
"If anyone is ready for it, it's him," Guerra said.
"He's been clawing away for a couple of years now and he's established himself as a pretty powerful forward.
"I'm sure that when selection time comes around his name will be on the lips of selectors."
Napa was being sized up for an Origin debut last year however was one of eight players blacklisted by Queensland team management for breaking curfew during the Emerging Maroons camp.
Napa's injury is likely to be offset by the return of Kane Evans from a calf problem.
Guerra said that unlike 2016 - when the Tricolours' season was decimated by injury - he was confident they could compensate for the loss of Napa.
"Everyone knows what you get from Dylan," Guerra said.
"We'll have to fill that void somehow and we're confident this year we've got better depth. Missing one or two guys isn't going to put as much strain on us as it has in previous years."
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