Newcastle's push for the finals has taken a significant hit, as both Dylan Brown and Dylan Lucas faced potential season-ending injuries during a narrow 23-22 defeat against the Sydney Roosters.
In the first half, Lucas suffered a dislocated ankle with a likely fracture after an awkward tackle by Roosters' Siua Wong left his leg pinned.
The seriousness of the situation was clear as teammates quickly signaled for medical help, prompting the medi-cab's arrival on the field. Lucas displayed evident pain as he received care before being escorted off.
Coach Justin Holbrook mentioned that the club was uncertain about the fracture's existence but confirmed the dislocation's severity.
"It's a dislocation straight away. It's back in which is good, but we need to see how much damage has been done around that which is good," Holbrook remarked.
"I'm not too sure [whether it's a fracture], but we will see how we go," he added.
Lucas was considered for a Kangaroos call-up for the World Cup following Hudson Young's season ending with an achilles injury.
Despite the setback with their impactful second-rower, the Knights managed to take a 10-6 lead into halftime.
However, disaster struck again after the break when marquee signing Dylan Brown collapsed, clutching his knee and raising immediate fears of an ACL injury as he exited the field.