Cameron Murray will eye a return to contact training by the end of next week as he bids to overcome a problematic wrist injury and start the NRL season for South Sydney.
Injured during last year's Pacific Championships, Murray has been on a modified training program since returning to the Rabbitohs in the pre-season.
The 27-year-old Souths captain had not expected the injury to be an issue at the start of the season, but he is yet to resume full contract training.
He will miss two pre-season matches against Manly and St George Illawarra, with fellow stars Cody Walker and Campbell Graham also sidelined.
Murray is then rated a 50-50 chance to face the Dolphins in the Rabbitohs' season opener at Suncorp Stadium on March 7.
"It's getting better, I am still in the frame, but I have a bit to tick off," Murray told AAP.
"I need to progress into some contact stuff and see how it pulls up from there. I probably have to start by the back end of next week.
"I didn't think a wrist would take six months to heal, especially if you don't break any bones.
"I had never dealt with a wrist injury before ... But I'm still in the picture."
Walker is also considered a 50-50 chance to play against the Dolphins, as he battles to overcome a calf injury.
And Graham is also no certainty to play, having suffered a broken hand at Rabbitohs training after missing the entire of 2024 with a sternum issue.
South Sydney would have hoped their luck could turn in 2025 with Wayne Bennett's return, after a horror injury run last season.
But instead it has been a case of the same old problems.
While Graham did not play a game last season, Latrell Mitchell was only available for 11 matches and Alex Johnston suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture.
Prop Tevita Tatola also missed most of the season, while Jai Arrow battled shoulder issues for the majority of the year.
Murray also missed six weeks with a hip-flexor issue, but said he had vowed to not get in the doldrums over the injury toll this season.
"I try not to think too much about it, because if you think too much about it you just drive yourself crazy," Murray said.
"We have had enough time over-thinking things, victimising ourselves.
"The only way to get over something like that is just control what you can.
"If you are unlucky enough to pick up an injury just deal with what you need to do with your rehab to get back out there.
"You can say: 'Why is this happening to us?'. Or you can say: 'This is happening to us, how do we come back from it?'."
