Representative duo Trent Merrin and Josh Dugan's NRL campaigns could be prematurely over after both suffered injuries in yesterday's loss to Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium.

Adding injury to the insult of their 14th loss of the year, Merrin was helped from the field with a suspected medial knee ligament strain, while Dugan - the club's biggest spark since signing mid-season - has a broken thumb.

Dragons coach Steve Price said "it was the one that got away," of the loss, continuing a horror run of near-misses and what-ifs in 2013.

St George Illawarra high performance manager Andrew Gray said both Merrin and Dugan would undergo scans.

"Josh Dugan looks like he's broken his thumb, which we'll need to confirm with an x-ray," Andrew Gray said.

"Josh did this early in the second half so he did extraordinarily well to stay out there and play on with this injury for the remainder of the game, as it was very painful.

"It's difficult to put a time frame on the length of time he could potentially miss until we get the results of the x-ray.

"We can then determine the exact extent and position of the fracture but it could be up around four to six weeks.

"Trent had a twisting injury to his knee late in the game and we brought him straight from the field.

"At first glance it looks like he has sustained a medial ligament injury and when this occurs it can do other things to your knee.

"We will need to see the results of the MRI to get a firm diagnosis before we know exactly how long he will be out for."

On a bad day for injuries, cursed Kangaroo centre Justin Hodges wasted no time in ruling out the possibility of retirement after he snapped an achilles tendon in Brisbane's win over St George Illawarra.

"It's not the end of me," 31-year-old Hodges said after the Broncos rallied in his absence when he collapsed without a hand on him, taking the ball one off a scrum in the 18th minute at Suncorp Stadium.

"No player ever wants to retire injured. That's not me. That's not how I'm built. I've had many injuries and it tests your character. It's not going to be the end. I'll fight.

"I'll be bouncing back bigger and better next year. It's a good challenge . . . bring it on. I'll get it done and finish my career the way I wanted."

The left achilles injury follows a right achilles rupture in 2010 that required a year-long convalescence. He has also had a knee reconstruction, shoulder reconstruction and chronic lower back problems.

This year's will be the second consecutive World Cup Hodges will miss through injury and his run of outs is now comparable with those of fellow Queenslanders Mal Meninga and Brent Tate, who he will have to emulate to re-ignite a glittering career.

Brisbane's ability to win every remaining game and sneak into the finals without Hodges is certainly under question; but so too was their ability to beat the Dragons yesterday and they did so - only just.

St George Illawarra exploited the defence in the part of the field Hodges would have filled and led 18-14 with 23 minutes remaining.

But after going down with cramp near the posts, Brisbane captain Sam Thaiday made a miraculous recovery to score the try that put his side in front for the final time.

The lead opened out to 26-18 before a late Dragons try made it a nervous final two minutes for 31,191 fans enjoying the Broncos' first Sunday afternoon home game in more than a year.