The Rock-Yerong Creek's premiership defence has been dealt a body blow, with midfielder David Pieper ruled out of Saturday's sudden-death semi-final against the Northern Jets with broken ribs.
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Pieper led the Pies to their premiership success last year and has been one of the competition's best players this season after handing over the coaching duties.
But after confirmation that three ribs are broken and with TRYC treading a do-or-die road through the finals, he concedes the season may well be over.
"I won't play this week, definitely," Pieper said.
"It's frustrating. I'm battling at work but I've been to physio and I've got another appointment next week just to see how it's going. But I'll probably battle.
"I don't want to say no. I played a couple of years ago in a grand final against Temora (after breaking a rib)."
With Dale Hugo sidelined for the past month with a knee problem and Mitch Stephenson facing a groin concern, the Pies could be up against it at Gumly on Saturday.
"It's a danger game this week, I rate the Jets as a side but hopefully the boys can get the job done," Pieper said.
Pieper suffered the injury in what initially seemed an innocuous clash in last week's loss to Coleambally.
"It was just a collision, me and Drew Kenna in the first quarter," Pieper said.
"There was a ball-up and he come from behind the contest running through and I did the same. I didn't even see him coming and he must've just jumped at the right time and got under my ribs.
"It just took the wind out of me but I thought I come alright."
It wasn't until the second half when he got a kick at a clearance and - without a hand being laid on him - Pieper realised something was wrong.
"Because it's a clean break, it must've only been then that they moved into a position where they started to hurt," Pieper said.
The loss to the Blues was disappointing, he said, with Coleambally's intensity catching the Magpies out.
"They turned up for a finals game and we didn't turn up for finals," Pieper said.
"We tried to get going but we just couldn't get anything right. If we kicked, it'd go over a bloke's head and they'd mark it. Or we'd drop it short and they'd mark it.
"They made their own luck with their pressure."
TRYC co-coach Andy Carey said injuries had hit the Magpies at the worst possible time.
“We have been pretty lucky through the year and now they all seem to be coming at the end of the year, but that’s footy,” Carey said.
Carey said the focus had been on themselves.
“We’re only worrying about our own self this week,” he said.
