The Kiwis and Sydney Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves will miss the test against Australia next week and up to six weeks of the National Rugby League after a scan showed he'd strained a pectoral muscle.
It was originally feared Waerea-Hargreaves may miss the season after sustaining the injury during the Roosters' loss to the Melbourne Storm on Saturday night.
Four other players from the Kiwis Four Nations winning side, Kieran Foran, Jason Nightingale, Dean Whare and Lewis Brown are also in doubt because of injury.
The Kiwis play the Kangaroos in Brisbane on Friday week, with coach Stephen Kearney to name his team on Sunday.
The Manly halfback Daly Cherry-Evans has quashed speculation that he's considering pulling out of his move to rival National Rugby League club Gold Coast next year.
The halfback refused to take questions from the media at training today instead making a statement in which he expressed frustration at recent media coverage saying there's been no changes to his contract siutation for 2016