Wayde Egan’s 150th NRL outing will have to wait until finals week, with a hip issue sidelining the Warriors hooker for Friday night’s clash against Manly at 4 Pines Park.
The 28-year-old has been nursing the complaint for a fortnight, replaced in the second half by Te Maire Martin in the club’s last two matches.
Head coach Andrew Webster has chosen caution, confirming that Egan will miss the regular season finale but is on track to return for the Warriors’ elimination match.
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In his absence, 23-year-old Sam Healey will slot straight into the starting side for just his sixth NRL appearance. Healey, who impressed with 41 minutes against the Titans and 39 minutes against the Eels, gets another chance to stamp his mark in the middle.
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Webster has otherwise kept changes to a minimum, moving Tanner Stowers-Smith into the run-on side and retaining the same backline for a third consecutive week since Rocco Berry’s return.
The Warriors still hold faint hopes of sneaking into the top four, though they’ll be reliant on Melbourne beating Brisbane on Thursday to keep that door ajar. Regardless of ladder permutations, the Kiwi outfit has already locked in its second finals berth in three seasons, their best run since 2010-2011.
For Egan, the milestone match will now carry even greater weight: a landmark 150th game arriving on the biggest stage of all.