NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster has praised the resilience of hooker Wayde Egan, after another impressive display in Saturday's loss to Sydney Roosters.
Just two games into the new NRL season - and Webster's tenure as Warriors coach - Egan has quietly cemented himself as one of the team's most important players.
The hooker has scored two of the Warriors' six tries this season, despite leaving the field for a concussion test against the Knights and injury in the first half against the Roosters.
Egan, 24, has already made 78 tackles, one assist and two linebreaks to go with his two tries from dummy half. That could have been two assists, but a late linebreak was foiled by a try-saving tackle from Roosters fullback James Tedesco on Warriors forward Bayley Sironen.
As part of the first-choice spine, Egan receives arguably the least attention, not grabbing as many headlines as the likes of Shaun Johnson, Te Maire Martin and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.
But now into his fourth season at the Warriors, after signing from Penrith Panthers, Egan is one of the players Webster relies on the most.
"Twice he's had to come back from an injury to come back on," said Webster. "He came back on and made a linebreak [against the Roosters] and we should have scored there, I thought.
"He's been excellent, I'm super proud of him. He's a good player and a great club man.
"Everyone loves him. He had a little bit of pain there and to come back, he was very resilient, again."
Egan's recovery to return to the field was a huge boost to the Warriors.
Forwards Jackson Ford, Josh Curran and Marata Niukore, as well as fullback Nicoll-Klokstad are under injury clouds, after also leaving the field on Saturday.
Nicoll-Klokstad and Ford both failed concussion tests, while Curran suffered a hip injury, with no certainty they'll be available against North Queensland Cowboys this week.
Niukore also left the field for a head injury assessment, but returned to finish the game.
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