Newcastle prop Kade Snowden might have played his last NRL game, amid fears he will be unable to recover from his latest battle with injury.
The 29-year-old has not been sighted since being dropped from the side following a 29-minute outing in the club's season-opener against Gold Coast.
According to Fox Sports News, Snowden is battling chronic back, neck and knee injuries that could now force him into early retirement, just two months into a two-year contract extension with the Knights.
In a brief statement on Thursday evening, Newcastle said: "Kade is seeking medical advice regarding his injury and at the appropriate time the club and/or Kade will give an update."
Coach Nathan Brown had previously said Snowden was a long way from NRL standard.
"I've had a good long chat to him and he is pretty honest, Snowy. He is as aware as anyone of where he is at, form-wise at the moment, and what he needs to do," Brown said in February.
"But we probably see it being more of a benefit right now for him to be still around the young blokes and around the team just with his experience."
The former NSW State of Origin and Kangaroos representative has played 175 games across 12 seasons in first grade with Cronulla and Newcastle.
He made his debut with the Knights in 2005 and spent four seasons in the Shire, before being brought back home in 2012 during the failed Nathan Tinkler era.
He played two games for NSW and one Test for Australia.
