A fractured cheekbone has North Queensland prop Matt Scott’s season in the balance

MATT Scott’s season hangs in the balance after the Maroons prop had surgery on a facial fracture rated one of the worst doctors have seen.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 18: Matt Scott of the Maroons receives treatment during game two of the State of Origin series between the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons at ANZ Stadium on June 18, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

MATT Scott’s season hangs in the balance after the Maroons prop had surgery on a facial fracture rated one of the worst doctors have seen.

With an injury crisis threatening to derail the Cowboys’ teetering finals campaign, North Queensland officials are sweating on a promising prognosis on co-captain Scott.

Their concerns were heightened on Friday after a radiologist used a private forum on the social networking site Facebook to deliver a grim appraisal after seeing X-rays of Scott’s right cheekbone.

He wrote: “Matt Scott is pretty much gone for the season with Facial (sic) fracture that has him in surgery. One of the most horrific scans I have seen/witnessed.”

The radiologist, who has no formal links to the Cowboys, added: “IE: he had his sinuses delivering air directly into his (eye) socket!”

The radiologist declined to comment further when contacted on Friday.

Matt Scott receives treatment on his fractured cheekbone during game two.

But the Cowboys are hoping Scott, their No.1 prop, will not suffer a season-ending injury that befell teammate Brent Tate in Origin II on Wednesday night.

The Maroons winger revealed scans had confirmed his worst fears of an ACL tear in his right knee.

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Tate said he was undecided when he would have his fourth reconstructive surgery, but he will not play for the Cowboys again this season.

The loss of Tate is another blow for the Cowboys, who have lost Cameron King (knee), Gavin Cooper (dislocated hip) and Lachlan Coote (knee) to long-term injuries.

Scott suffered his facial injury in the 12th minute of Origin II after being tackle by Blues duo Paul Gallen and Robbie Farah.

He soldiered on for 11 minutes before leaving the field with blood streaming down his face.

Cowboys football manager Peter Parr said while he could not guarantee Scott will return this year he was hopeful the enforcer would receive positive news from his Sydney surgeon.

“We won’t know, until after the surgery, how long it will be,” Parr said.

“The best-case scenario is three or four weeks and the worst case possibly eight weeks, but I don’t know for sure as yet.

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“I spoke to his wife and the doctors are hopeful they wouldn’t need to insert a plate. But we’ll know more (on Saturday).

“Matt told me it was a head clash, he doesn’t know who it was with.”

The Cowboys face a testing road trip to Newcastle on Monday night without Scott, Tate and Cooper, who is sidelined for eight weeks.

The 10th-placed Cowboys have lost all six away games this season and must overcome the struggling Knights to stay in touch with the top eight.

“It won’t be easy without Matty and Tatey, but we have to somehow overcome the hurdles,” Parr said.