The Wests Tigers have announced that Kai Pearce-Paul will undergo surgery this week following a left pectoral muscle injury he sustained in the early moments of the match against the Gold Coast Titans last Sunday.
The timeline for his return remains uncertain, as the club plans to monitor his recovery on a weekly basis after the operation.
Typically, a recovery from a pectoral muscle rupture that requires surgery takes about 12 weeks. This suggests that it's unlikely the second-rower will return to action before the finals, though he might still have a chance to participate in the Rugby League World Cup at the end of the year, where he would likely be an automatic selection for England.
Pearce-Paul is not the only player on the Tigers' increasingly crowded injury list; Royce Hunt is also recovering from his pectoral muscle tear sustained in Round 14.
Meanwhile, other injured Tigers such as Adam Doueihi, Alex Twal, and Samuela Fainu are making progress according to their expected return timelines.
Doueihi is anticipated to return in the coming weeks as he nears the end of his recovery. Twal was originally given a 4-6 week timeline following his injury on June 3, and Fainu is in a six to seven week rehabilitation program.
All players are diligently progressing through their rehabilitation under the supervision of Head of High Performance, Peter Moussa, and his staff.
This season has been particularly impressive for Pearce-Paul, who is enjoying his best performances since joining the Tigers from the Newcastle Knights.
At 25 years old, in his third season, he has been averaging 35 tackles per game with an impressive 93.8% efficiency, along with 72.5 running metres and 2.3 offloads per game, having scored four tries in 12 matches-surpassing his goal tally from his two seasons at Newcastle.