Canberra five-eighth Ethan Strange has replaced Mitchell Moses in Australia's 23-man squad for the remainder of the Rugby League World Cup.
Moses suffered a lower-leg injury during Australia's 24-22 win over New Zealand in the tournament opener in Sydney on Thursday night.
Scans later showed an unspecified "high-grade muscle tear", ending his campaign after he left the field less than two minutes into the second half.
The loss is significant for Australia, which is already without Nathan Cleary because of a serious leg injury. Moses was the team's strongest last-tackle kicker.
Coach Kevin Walters said the 32-year-old was disappointed. In a statement on Saturday, Walters said, "Mitch made a wonderful contribution to the World Cup preparations".
Walters added, "He is naturally disappointed at the outcome today", and said Moses's effort to keep playing showed his commitment to representing Australia.
Moses changed allegiance after captaining Lebanon at the 2022 World Cup. His representative career has also been disrupted by injuries: a hamstring strain ruled him out of this year's State of Origin opener for NSW.
A calf strain in camp kept him out of Blues contention for Game II in 2025, while a left-foot fracture sidelined him from the series opener a year earlier.
Strange, 22, has yet to play a Kangaroos Test but represented the Australian Prime Minister's XIII against Papua New Guinea last year. He made his State of Origin debut this year after replacing Moses in the NSW squad.
Australia next face Fiji in Brisbane on Sunday night. Walters is expected to rotate his squad, with Sam Walker and Tom Dearden set to form the new halves pairing.