Rabbitohs back Aaron Gray is set to be sidelined for up to 16 weeks after picking up an injury at the Auckland Nines last weekend.

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Initially expected to be out for around two months, further scans suggest Gray will be sidelined for much longer.

Gray was a high profile casualty on the first day of the Nines, going down during the Bunnies’ loss to Canberra.

“We don’t know how long Aaron will be out, but he’s a real pro and he’ll get back as quickly as he can,’’ Souths coach Michael Maguire said, per The Daily Telegraph.

“We have some good options out wide. Rob (Jennings – Michael’s brother) is quick, has a big frame, Braidon (Burns) is quick, so it helps to have some young talent with speed, and we’ll be looking to use that.

“Bryson Goodwin can also play in the centres, which allows us to play a guy like Braidon on the wing, while Rob has also trained on the wing.’’

The tournament has already come under fire from the likes of Gus Gould for its timing in the preseason.

Johnathan Thurston and Shaun Johnson also added some criticism after a poor crowd turnout on the weekend.

Two years ago, promising Sharks youngster Nu Brown picked up a long term knee injury at the event.