After being consoled by a hug from tearful mum Julie, South Sydney star Sam Burgess is hoping scans on Monday reveal the damage caused to his knee during the thrilling golden-point 17-16 win over Wests Tigers is at the low end of the scale.
After missing all but four matches last season, the explosive England international is desperate to avoid more time on the sidelines.
The dressing room prognosis on Sunday revealed medial ligament damage - grade two or three - but scans should tell the full story.
"It's quite painful. We'll just have to see tomorrow (Monday)," a subdued Burgess said in the bowels of Allianz Stadium.
"I don't know how much (time) we're looking at. I knew I'd done something to my knee, we'll just wait and see."
"It's hard for them to judge the size of the injury, the grading. I think it's the medial, which is probably the best-case scenario - it's not as bad as it could have been."
"But I knew something had gone, I knew something had popped."
As Burgess spoke to reporters, fellow Brit Gareth Ellis cut a forlorn figure as he emerged from the Tigers dressing room with his left foot in a protective boot.
He limped out of the game just before half-time - around 10 minutes before Burgess - and could be out for a month or two with a fractured foot.
He said of the injury: "I just came out of the tackle and it was sore, we'll have to wait to see the scans."
"They think it's a fracture."
The two Englishmen were uncomfortable spectators as one of the most dramatic games of the year unfolded.
Souths fought back from 16-4 down late in the game and needed an Adam Reynolds sideline conversion with less than two minutes left to force the game into extra-time.
Reynolds delivered the goods and then Greg Inglis sealed the most unlikely of victories with a wonky field goal in the first golden-point period.
The ball snuck inside the left post, narrowly avoiding the crossbar.
Inglis immediately began celebrating even though he later admitted he was not sure whether the field goal had hit its mark.
"I was hoping (it went over), I was pushing it. I was glad it went over otherwise I looked like a fool if it didn't," he said.