Last year’s Bill Castle Medal winner is set to undergo surgery on Monday after suffering a bad break in the loss at Camden on Sunday.

The loss of their co-captain will be another blow to the Phantoms hopes of back-to-back titles.

The best of NSW Country has again proven too strong for the Brumbies Provincial side, but the gap is closing.

Southern Inland’s best, and their South Coast and Monaro counterparts, fell 34-24 and definitely weren’t helped by a mounting injury count.

They lost Rabici, Tumut flyer Josef Glamuzina (concussion) plus captain Matt Todd and Ash Kenny in the first half.

Coach Richard Skellern thought it took a big toll.

“It was a good, hard physical game, and for the little ball we had we used it well,” Skellern said.

“It just didn’t go our way unfortunately.”

The back line held their own, but the Cockatoos forwards were able to get on top, particularly in the scrum.

However Skellern thought it was another step in the right direction for the representative program.

“We held our own and we are getting closer,” he said.

“It was a 12-point loss last year, 10 today and it might be eight next year.”

FULL-TIME

NSW COUNTRY 34 d BRUMBIES PROVINCIAL 24 (Mike van Diggelen, Mark Poplin, Kula Kaloudonu, Jake Kearnes tries; Blake Le Cornu 2 cons)