Tim Membrey will miss Round 1, with the Saints today ruling out the 28-year-old with a knee injury.

He will be joined on the sidelines by Nick Coffield, who injured his calf at training late last week. The strain will likely see the 23-year-old out for four to six weeks.

Similarly, Seb Ross is unlikely to tick all the boxes to put his hand up for Round 1, managing a calf complaint.

Marcus Windhager (hand) and Max Heath (ankle) will need to prove their fitness at training this week to make themselves available.

Meanwhile, routine scans have revealed Jack Hayes' recovery from his foot injury is progressing slower than expected, with his return to play now likely to be closer to the bye.

Positively, Leo Connolly returned to full training following a knee injury impacting the majority of his pre-season.

“Obviously, this is not an ideal situation to have Nick join the injury list, particularly after the difficult year he has had,” Acting General Manager of Football David Misson said.

“In the case of Tim and Seb, we need to think longer term and make sure we’re not rushing them unnecessarily.”

The Saints will kick off their season against Fremantle at 4.40pm on Sunday 19 March at Marvel Stadium.

Injury list