Arguably the NRL’s best lock right now, Finucane fractured his right thumb in the Storm's 14-4 loss to Cronulla Sharks on Friday night and the club confirmed on Monday that the NSW candidate would be out for four to six weeks, robbing them of a form forward and reducing his chances of Origin selection.

Reports suggest Brandon Smith or Kenny Bromwich will be the options to fill the void. 

Finucane himself was staying upbeat after a surgery on Wednesday, posting a selfie on instagram saying he had “fasted 18 hours for this triangle sandwich” and prompted a speedy recovery with the tag line “take my strong hand”. 

He also commented that the surgery was all done and he was hopeful for a “quick recovery and back into it”. 

It’s a devastating setback to the Melbourne 13, who was praised by coach Craig Bellamy just last week as being a perfect contender for the State of Origin. 

Finucane will have some chance to prove his worth for NSW selectors and incoming Blues coach Brad Fitler with the forward hopefully back on the field in early May. 

Finucane has missed just one game since 2015 and caught the eye of selectors in 2017, flown into Blues camp late as a shadow reserve. The opening Origin clash will be in Melbourne on June 6.