Gunnedah's brains trust are busily working on a contingency plan after losing their captain and star fullback for the remainder of their 2023 campaign.
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James Perrett won't play again this season after fracturing his C6 and C7 when he was caught high in the Red Devils' loss to Moree.
He was able to walk off the field but scans later revealed he had a clay-shoveler fracture.
Taking its name from an injury commonly found among clay shovelers in the 30s, it is a fracture of the 'spinous process' in the lower cervical or upper thoracic spine.
Perrett still has to consult with a specialist and have further scans but understands that there is no permanent damage, although there were some compressed discs, and is able to get around, albeit in a neck brace.
"Once everything heals I should be fine," Perrett told ACM.
But he won't be returning to the field anytime soon.
It is for the Red Devils a huge blow.
Along with Emori Waqavulagi, he is their biggest attacking threat.
More than that though, he is their "leader", as coach Dan Martin put it.
And not just in the fact that he is their captain. He is their talisman and so much of their game centres around him.
How much it does affect them remains to be seen, but Martin is remaining positive.
He acknowledged they will need to "make some tactical changes" but said they're "not too stressed".
They have a few options there they are exploring.
Waqavulagi played there against Quirindi on Saturday, and went pretty well too scoring three tries as they kept their top two hopes alive with a 54-14 win. But Martin indicated he isn't a lock-in as a permanent replacement.
The win was a welcome one after losses to Walcha and the Bulls in their previous three games, but Martin still wasn't overly convinced.
"We're still not quite firing," he said, adding that the first 20 minutes particularly was "an arm wrestle".
But it was an improvement on the Bulls' performance.
On another positive note, second rower Tim McDermott continued his comeback from his horrific injury during last year's grand final, making his first starting appearance of the season.
They will however be without winger DJ Morrison, possibly for the season as well, after he broke his collarbone.
Looking at probably at least five-six weeks, he could get back for the finals but it will be touch and go.
As they start to welcome back a few key forwards and look ahead to some big games in the coming weeks, Martin has put the onus on the pack to really step up. So far it's been really the backs carrying them.
Saturday was a special Mental Health Round with both clubs wearing limited edition jerseys in support of headspace Tamworth.
With the win, and other results, the Red Devils moved six points clear of the third-placed Bulls, who played out a 25-all draw with Narrabri - their second in the second round in as many years - thanks to a last minute Ben Williams penalty.
Walcha meanwhile accounted for Scone 36-26 to leapfrog the Lions into fourth.
TABLE: Pirates 58, Gunnedah 55, Moree 49, Walcha 44, Quirindi 41, Narrabri 40, Inverell 28, Scone 18.
