Penrith Panthers playmaker Jamie Soward is confident his skipper and halves partner Peter Wallace will come back from yet another knee injury.
Wallace has had a torrid run with injuries since his return to the foot of the mountain, sustaining his third knee injury in two years.
After undergoing a knee reconstruction last year, Wallace had another stint on the sidelines earlier this year and received the bad news that he will miss the rest of the season after the Panthers recent loss to the Raiders.
Soward said he was devastated to hear about Wallace's latest injury setback.
"What he's been through the last two years is unbelievable — personally, it's shaken me up a little bit," Soward said.
"He's one of my better mates, my halfback, the captain.
"He's had knee problems and he's had personal problems as well, so [it's tough] just to see him struggling."
While Wallace will definitely miss the rest of the 2015 season, Soward rubbished suggestions it could be a career-ending injury.
"He'll come back for sure. I don't think it's as bad as it has been in the past, but knowing Wal and how stubborn he is and how much of a competitor he is, he'll come back and we'll see him leading our club next year."
The Panthers are also likely to miss Dean Whare for the remainder of the year, after he broke his thumb against the Raiders.
Despite their tough predicament, Soward said he still believes they can make the finals; they've just got to win all their remaining games.
"We wouldn't be here if we couldn't do it," Soward said. "I've got the belief in the squad, we need to get on a bit of a roll and make the eight.
"The Bulldogs finished seventh last year and made the grand final.
"You never know what can happen."
The Panthers face western Sydney rivals Parramatta on Saturday night, at the unfamiliar setting of TIO Stadium in Darwin.
Kick-off is at 7pm in what is definitely a must-win for both teams.