New Zealand captain Roy Asotasi is likely to miss the upcoming rugby league World Cup after suffering a suspected torn pectoral muscle in his team's dramatic 22-20 loss to the Sydney Roosters at Sydney Football Stadium tonight.
The incident occurred in the closing seconds of the game when Asotasi was tackled while carrying the ball and the Rabbitohs camp later suggested their leader could have been the victim of a "chicken wing" tackle.
"We are going need to check the tackle," South Sydney coach Jason Taylor said.
A crestfallen Asotasi was scheduled to undergo an MRI tomorrow, but both he and South Sydney director of high performance Errol Alcott feared the worst.
"It's a suspected pectoral muscle tear, clinically it looks like he's got a deformity there and that suggests there is a muscle tear," Alcott said.
He said it was normally an 18 to 22 week recovery period for that type of injury.
"It was the last run of the game, I got the ball and got tackled and when I got up it just felt weak straight away," Asotasi said.
A break of that duration would sideline the powerful 26-year-old prop from the World Cup, which will be conducted in October and November.
"The chance (of me playing at the World Cup) is pretty slim, I feel the heartbreak already," Asotasi said.
The news was also received with solemnity by the strong New Zealand contingent in the Roosters squad.
"He's in good form at the moment so it's going to be a blow to us," Roosters fullback and New Zealand squad member Sam Perrett said.
Asotasi's anticipated absence from the tournament is yet another blow to the Kiwis.
"He (Asotasi) is one our leaders, Frank Pritchard is in doubt at the moment and we've lost Sonny Bill Williams, but we've still got a lot of good players," said Kiwi Sia Soliola.
