Reigning premiers the Sydney Roosters will likely finish the regular season without a specialist hooker after Heath L'Estrange was ruled out for at least four weeks with a knee injury.
Reserve hooker L'Estrange suffered cartilage damage to his left knee in Saturday night's 48-4 NRL win over the Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval.
Starting in just his second match for the season following first-choice rake Jake Friend's hamstring strain, L'Estrange left the field in the 14th minute and was replaced by Mitch Aubusson.
L'Estrange is set to undergo an arthroscope on the injured knee on Wednesday and will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks, according to a club statement.
With Friend potentially missing for the next three weeks with only three rounds remaining, utility Aubusson has put his hand up to fill the hooking role until the nuggety No.9's return.
Aubusson said on Sunday he had played every position at the Roosters apart from the front-row.
The Roosters face the Warriors, Melbourne and South Sydney to conclude the regular season as they rev up for a tilt at back-to-back premierships.
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