![Raiders co-captain Elliott Whitehead will miss four to six weeks with a pec injury. Picture by Gary Ramage Raiders co-captain Elliott Whitehead will miss four to six weeks with a pec injury. Picture by Gary Ramage](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/reqbnGrLXyZFax2TwSi3Na/af85c66d-58b2-488e-8d6b-9509ae103caf.jpg/r0_47_1718_1157_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
He might've taken a two-week suspension, but Canberra Raiders co-captain Elliott Whitehead could be out for a lot longer than that.
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Raiders coach Ricky Stuart revealed Whitehead could be out for four to six weeks with the pectoral injury he suffered in the opening 15 minutes of the Manly loss on Sunday.
True to form as one of the ironmen of the NRL, Whitehead finished the game but pulled up sore in the aftermath.
The match review committee charged him twice - for dangerous contact and a high tackle - with each charge drawing either a $3000 fine or a two-match ban.
Whitehead opted to take one of the fines and a two-week suspension - in a sign the 33-year-old was potentially aiming to be back earlier than four weeks.
Stuart praised Whitehead's effort to finish the game.
"He's out four to six weeks I think. He's got a slight tear to the pec," Stuart said.
"He did it early in the game. I think it was about the first 10 to 15 minutes of the first half. He's done a wonderful job [to keep playing].
"It was a brave effort, but you come to expect that from Elliott. People don't see what he does for the team."
Whitehead's absence has seen Corey Horsburgh, who narrowly missed out on State of Origin selection for Queensland, shift from lock into the second row.
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With Hudson Young also out after earning his Origin debut for NSW, that meant a whole new second row for the Green Machine.
It's given Corey Harawira-Naera a recall from NSW Cup.
Whether Horsburgh spends more than one week on the edge will depend on how Young pulls up from his Origin debut in Adelaide on Wednesday.
If he's able to back up two days later - against Wests Tigers at Campbelltown - that would allow Horsburgh to return to the middle.
Horsburgh's only played in the second row in the NRL once before - against the Gold Coast in 2020 - but has done it a few more times in NSW Cup.
"Hudson's back so then we'll see how that goes," Stuart said.
"He's got a very short turnaround from the Origin game into the Friday night game, but it's been done before."
NRL ROUND 13
Saturday: Canberra Raiders v South Sydney Rabbitohs at Homebush, 7.35pm.
Rabbitohs team: 1. Blake Taaffe, 2. Alex Johnston, 3. Isaiah Tass, 4. Campbell Graham, 5. Taane Milne 6. Cody Walker, 7. Lachlan Ilias, 8. Tevita Tatola, 9. Damien Cook, 10. Hame Sele, 11. Michael Chee Kam, 12. Jacob Host, 13. Liam Knight. Interchange: 14. Jed Cartwright, 15. Tallis Duncan, 16. Shaq Mitchell, 17. Daniel Suluka-Fifita. Reserves: 18. Richard Kennar, 19. Tyrone Munro, 20. Peter Mamouzelos, 21. Keaon Koloamatangi, 22. Dean Hawkins.
Raiders team: 1. Sebastian Kris, 2. Albert Hopoate, 3. Jarrod Croker, 4. Matthew Timoko, 5. Jordan Rapana, 6. Jack Wighton, 7. Jamal Fogarty, 8. Josh Papali'i, 9. Zac Woolford, 10. Pasami Saulo, 11. Corey Harawira-Naera, 12. Corey Horsburgh, 13. Joseph Tapine. Interchange: 14. Tom Starling, 15. Emre Guler, 16. Nick Cotric, 17. Ata Mariota. Reserves: 18. Hohepa Puru, 19. Danny Levi, 20. Matt Frawley, 21. Harley Smith-Shields, 22. Peter Hola.
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