Three days out from the Warriors sudden death NRL finals clash against Newcastle Knights and the question of everyone's lips remains - will Shaun Johnson play?
After being scratched from last weekend's playoffs opener against minor premiers Penrith, the Dally M contender's status has been a cause for consternation all week for the Warriors faithful, who have been sweating on the availability of their star halfback as they chase their first playoffs win since 2011 - their livelihood on the line.
Johnson has adopted a cautious approach with his recovery this week, operating individually separate from the wider squad before completely sitting out Thursday's training, with his calf still heavily strapped.
Coach Andrew Webster's words should offer some semblance of respite for the Warriors faithful, expecting their talisman will be ready to return to the field in front of a sold-out Mt Smart on Saturday.
"He's really good," said Webster.
"He trained well yesterday and best prep for him was to not train today - keep the two days in a row loading out of it getting ready for tomorrow and play
The only remaining box for Johnson to tick will be Friday's captains run, when Webster is "confident" Johnson will prove he's up to the task against the Knights, who are riding high on a 10-game win streak leading into the post-season.
"He just has to do parts of the captains run and if he can't physically do it, he can't play," added Webster.
"At this stage, all signs are that he'll physically be able to do it. That's why we've gone this far and this is why we're confident he'll play.
"But if he doesn't, we're well prepared. We've trained without him so we know what that looks like."
Johnson was conspicuous by his absence against the Panthers, where the side sorely missed the direction he provides on both attack and with his educated kicking game.
Dylan Walker filled in alongside Te Maire Martin in eastern Sydney, but the shift left the side missing the secondary ball-playing option the Australian has so admirably provided off the bench all year as one of the competition's best value acquisitions of the off season.
While Webster conceded most players were carrying some sort of niggle at this stage of the season, he was also quick to point out that Johnson's ailment constituted much more than just a 'calf issue', as it was initially reported.
The official diagnosis for Johnson is a torn calf, which he suffered during training the week after the win over the Dragons in their final regular season contest. It involves the more delicate matter of rehabilitating soft tissue, which Webster says set off immediate "alarm bells".
Playing through such an injury clearly carries a risk of making it worse, but Webster believes the procedure they follow for any injury recovery should mitigate any ongoing concerns that playing could result in longer term damage.
"If he ticks the boxes then we've gone through the scenario like we have every week. If he ticks the boxes tomorrow then he's good to go."
Although Webster admits the signs that Johnson - from a physical standpoint - is in the twilight of his career have been apparent all season, his level of mental fortitude has never been higher - and the calm fashion in which he's faced the scrutiny surrounding his injury has been further evidence of that strength.
"Mentally, I think that's been the strongest part of his game this year - how clear everything looks to him.
"All of the attention with this, I just can't believe how well he's been dealing with it. At the end of the day, he knows what he's got to try and do and if it happens, then great. If it doesn't then he can't do it.
"But he's handled it really well."
The Warriors shot off the blocks in Saturday's clash with the defending champion Panthers, before half Nathan Cleary found his groove to lead his side to a clinical and ultimately one-sided victory.
The visitors struggled to find the field position they needed to put points on the board and - in combination with some weak last-tackle execution - quickly dropped off the pace.
Webster says the team learned some harsh lessons about the importance of maintaining composure in matches of such high intensity and stakes, which they've made a priority of addressing through this week's build up against the Knights.
"We came out swinging punches last week and probably put our energy into the wrong things and were a bit fired up," he explained. "As a result, we didn't build pressure and we weren't smart.
"I think we've learned so many lessons. I think the group is in really good spirits. They're confident and so excited to be back home."
The Novacastrians have shared the spoils with the Warriors this season, losing the round one matchup at Go Media Stadium, before bouncing back with a 34-24 win at home five weeks later.
This weekend's winner will advance to face Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium, with a spot in the NRL Grand Final beckoning.
Fresh off the plane from Sydney, Knights superstar Kalyn Ponga admits Johnson’s potential absence would be a "massive loss" for the hosts.
"Coming into these games, you want the best people on the field," Ponga said. "It's the reason why people show up and he deserves to be out there playing at his best.
"We'll be watching but we can't underestimate the rest of them as well."
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