Blockbusting wing Manu Vatuvei could be in the frame to play Wests on Friday night which would be a major bonus for the Warriors who have to plug injury holes in other key areas.
Vatuvei missed yesterday's impressive 26-24 win over Souths in Auckland with a lower leg injury.
He watched the team display some real character to get past the Rabbitohs but then had some more company in the casualty ward with Sam Rapira (knee) and James Maloney (hip) join him.
Rugged prop Rapira certainly won't be travelling to Sydney and might not play again this year, such is the damage to a knee.
Five-eighth Maloney is unlikely to be involved against the Tigers. "It's not a serious one in terms of time out but he is sore. He will be doing it tough to play next week but we will see how it goes," coach Ivan Cleary said of Maloney.
Cleary was quietly optimistic about Vatuvei's prospects.
"I hope so," Cleary said when asked if the try machine could play this week.
"He is progressing well at the moment. We travel Thursday so he basically has to be ready Wednesday. It's a day by day thing. It would certainly be nice to have him though."
That's an understatement given the injury problems the Warriors have had to endure all year. Yet they have doggedly stayed in the top eight mix with consecutive wins against the Cowboys and Souths ending a three-match losing streak.
While Joel Moon could slip comfortably alongside key playmaker Brett Seymour in the halves to cover the absence of Maloney, the front row problems are bigger.
Rapira has been the standout forward this year and his injury complicates an area already depleted by Steve Price's absence.
The Warriors are left with a mix of youth and journeymen to cover the middle of the park where they have done so well over the last couple of weekends in Auckland.
Cleary is calling on 20-year-old Russell Packer to step up and believe he has the game and growing maturity to take over the senior propping role in the absence of the two internationals.
"Russell has been really good the last two weeks, easily his best two games of the year," Cleary enthused of Packer's growing form.
"We are going to need those sorts of games from him from here on. He started the game tonight and that should be where he stays. He's going to be even more important for us now.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/3730475/Beast-could-help-Warriors-horror-show
