Canterbury Bulldogs are expected to appeal to the NRL for salary-cap relief for million-dollar Kiwis half Kieran Foran, who will undergo a shoulder reconstruction.
Clubs can apply for a maximum A$350,000 of salary cap relief, if a player is injured while playing representative football and misses 12 weeks of the regular season.
The salary-cap exemption was introduced by the NRL, after Canberra Raiders star Josh Hodgson was sidelined for most of the 2018 season, with an ACL injury he suffered while playing for England during the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.
The Bulldogs confirmed Foran would undergo surgery as soon as this week, after he was injured playing for New Zealand against Great Britain on Saturday.
His recovery period and potential return date will not be known until after the initial exploratory procedure, but he's looking at a potential six months out of the game.
The 29-year-old managed to play just 12 games with the Bulldogs in 2018 and only 14 last season, battling injury.
"There is no way in the world I'm going to quit football," Foran told The Daily Telegraph.
"This is the worst news possible, but I'd prepared myself for it and I'm in a much better headspace than the last time when it happened to me.
"I'm going to fight on. I'm 29 and I've always thought I had another three years in me.
"I owe it to the Bulldogs to make it back next year."
Bulldogs chief executive Andrew Hill said the club would stand by Foran and support him through his recovery.
"The news is incredibly disappointing for both Kieran and the Bulldogs, especially as he has worked so hard to get back on to the field," Hill said.
"The club will make sure that Kieran receives the best possible medical support during surgery and his rehabilitation, and will continue to monitor his recovery and potential return date."
Foran's long injury is the latest for high-profile NRL players with implications on a club's salary cap.
South Sydney's Sam Burgess and Brisbane's Matt Gillett were both medically retired by their respective clubs in recent weeks.
The NRL is yet to determine whether their contracts will be exempt from the salary cap.
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AAP
