Struggling NZ Warriors have copped another brutal blow, with star centre Roger Tuivasa-Sheck ruled out indefinitely with a hamstring strain suffered during training.
While the strain is understood to be on the lower end of the severity scale, it will - at the very least - sideline the former Dally M medallist for Sunday's clash with Sydney Roosters.
Adam Pompey has been promoted from the bench as his replacement.
Coach Andrew Webster has sprung another late surprise, dropping winger Marcelo Montoya and promoting Ed Kosi for his first start of the season.
The Warriors have been based across the Tasman over the past week, choosing to remain in Australia after their defeat to Newcastle Knights to prepare for the redhot Roosters.
Tuivasa-Sheck will leave a sizeable void in a Warriors backline that has failed to fire in recent weeks. The crosscode international has played every game this season to date, since returning from his rugby hiatus.
Winless through their past four games, the 14th-placed Warriors are preparing for a torrid upcoming schedule, which - after their date with the Roosters - includes games with three-time defending champions Penrith Panthers and the surging Dolphins.
Tuivasa-Sheck, 30, joins a mounting list of injured Warriors, which already features Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Chanel Harris-Tavita and Kurt Capewell.
He has dealt with hamstring injuries in the past, with a strain cutting his 2020 campaign short in the penultimate week of the regular season.
He's the second high-profile player to be hampered by a hamstring injury this week, with star Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary limping from the field during the win over Canterbury Bulldogs.
Cleary has played just five games this season since succumbing to the leg injury in round three. He'll undergo further scans to determine his recovery timeframe.
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