NZ Warriors forward Jazz Tevaga faces up to two months on the sidelines, after suffering a hamstring injury against Manly Sea Eagles.
Tevaga came off the interchange bench half an hour into the dramatic 'Golden Point' draw at Go Media Stadium, scoring the Warriors' first try, as they began their rally from a 16-0 deficit, but hobbled off the field soon after and did not return.
Three days later, coach Andrew Webster admits the severity of the injury is still unclear, but puts the recovery at 4-8 weeks.
"What's the difference between a strain or a tear?" he mused. "I think it's a tear... I just ask how many weeks and we go from there.
"The game's hard at the moment - 65 minutes of ball in play and the boys are working hard. The NRL's gone to a new level and it's a real adjustment.
"There's injuries all around the league at the moment and we're no different, but we're not going to feel sorry for ourselves and we'll just fight on."
Veteran half Shaun Johnson is nursing lower leg aches, while hooker Wayde Egan is still recovering ongoing elbow problems, but will play on. Others rule out this week are forward Marata Niukore (foot), five-eighth Luke Metcalf (leg), and interchange forwards Dylan Walker (ankle) and Bunty Afoa (hamstring).
Back-up hooker Freddy Lussick is sitting out a four-week suspension for his dangerous tackle against South Sydney Rabbitohs in NSW Cup.
Webster is philosophical about the mounting casualty list.
"It's sounds weird, but I kind of enjoy it," he offered. "I'd rather have every single player available, but it's a challenge each week.
"Someone else gets an opportunity. Jacob Laban and his last two games... if we had our full squad, I don't know if he'd be playing.
"Can we find a win, are we tough enough and do we compete hard enough... and are we a true squad? We're not going to win it with our best 17 available, we've got to win it with every single man in our squad.
"I just get excited by the next challenge. I'm gutted for the individual that's injured... but when someone gets hurt and it's not ideal, we find a way."
Webster has named an unchanged starting line-up to face St George Dragons on Friday, but Tevaga's absence sees Adam Pompey shuffled up the pecking order and in line for a bench role.
Warriors: 1-Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2-Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3-Rocco Berry, 4-Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 5-Marcelo Montoya, 6-Te Maire Martin, 7-Shaun Johnson, 8-Addi Fonua-Blake, 9-Wayde Egan, 10-Mitch Barnett, 11-Jackson Ford, 12-Kurt Capewell, 13-Tohu Harris
Interchange: 14-Chanel Tavita-Harris, 15-Tom Ale, 16-Jacob Laban, 17-Adam Pompey, 18-Zyon Maiu'u, 20-Taine Tuaupiki, 21-Ali Leiataua, 22-Edward Kosi, 23-Paul Roache
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