Sam Burgess is expected to discover in the next few days whether his glorious career is over.
The dual-code star had to pull out of Great Britain's current tour Down Under because of complications following surgery. An infection is said to have eaten away at his shoulder to the point where full recovery is considered unlikely.
The 30-year-old, who has 26 England and Great Britain caps in league and five England caps in union, is seeing specialists this week. He will then meet bosses at his NRL club South Sydney Rabbitohs to discuss his future.
NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg said: "It would be a shame to not see Sam run out again next year. He's the sort of player people want to watch.
“I find him an unbelievable competitor on the field so I hope to see him back."
Burgess has four more years left on his Rabbitohs deal, amounting to more than £2million. His younger brother Tom will start in the Lions side that takes on New Zealand, in the first of two Tests, in Auckland on Saturday.
