Utility back Peta Hiku has returned from injury to assume the NZ Warriors captaincy, as they limp towards the end of the NRL season against Wests Tigers.
With coach Nathan Brown virtually conceding his team's playoff hopes are gone - and the early departure of skipper Roger Tuivasa-Sheck - Hiku has been called up to lead a makeshift side, which also sees him line up in the halves.
The Warriors have also lost inspirational forward Tohu Harris and hooker Wayde Egan to long-term injuries, while prop Leeson Ah Mau has also been given permission to return home to family, before the trans-Tasman travel bubble closes on Friday.
Centre Rocco Berry, prop Addin Fonua-Blake, half Chad Townsend and forward Jack Murchie are also sidelined by injury, and prop Matt Lodge through suspension, leaving Brown with only enough troops to name three players on his extended bench of four.
Hiku has already signed a contract to play for North Queensland Cowboys from next season and hasn't played with April 18, when he injured a shoulder against St George Dragons. He finds himself playing out of position, with incumbent Kodi Nikorima battling for form.
Prop Jamayne Taunoa-Brown returns from a loan stint with the Dragons to start in the front row, where teenage hooker Taniela Otukolo starts for the first time in his rookie NRL season. Centre Viliami Vailea and prop Pride Petterson-Robati are a chance to make their debuts off the extended bench.
"I think that [the finals] is starting to look beyond us now, if we are being truthful," Brown said, after Sunday's embarrassing 60-22 loss to South Sydney Rabbitohs.
"I'd like to say it is not, but you get to a stage where there's only so many games left and for us, we haven't had a win for a while and we lost some more troops today."
Now 14th and riding a seven-game losing streak, this latest makeshift Warriors line-up reflects that forlorn forecast.
Warriors: 1-Reece Walsh, 2-Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3-Adam Pompey, 4-Euan Aitken, 5-Marcelo Montoya, 6-Peta Hikua, 7-Sean O'Sullivan, 8-Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, 9-Taniela Otukolo, 10-Ben Murdoch-Masila, 11-Eliesa Katoa, 12-Bayley Sironen, 13-Josh Curran
Interchange: 14-Kodi Nikorima, 15-Bunty Afoa, 16-Kane Evans, 17-Jazz Tevaga, 18-Viliami Vailea, 20-Edward Kosi, 21-Pride Petterson-Robati
