Rabbitohs second-rower Kyle Turner will undergo disc replacement surgery this week after suffering a neck injury in this year's All Stars game.
Turner made the decision to undergo surgery after consultation with specialists and club coaching staff in a bid to improve his long-term future.
"Kyle sustained a pretty serious injury to his neck," Rabbitohs high performance manager Troy Thomson said.
"That tackle caused an acute injury to the disc in his neck and that's actually protruding onto the spinal cord, so he had some fairly significant neurological conditions there down through his arms – some pins and needles and tingling sensations.
"He was in hospital for two nights after that game and just under observation.
"We took a long time to make a decision and we went through the process very thoroughly – saw the best surgeons in Australia and came to a decision just this week to go in and do a disc replacement."