The Manly Sea Eagles will likely have a very different looking team for next weekend's trip to the Gold Coast, with up to five players injured during Saturday's tough draw with the New Zealand Warriors.
90 minutes wasn't enough to separate the Warriors and Sea Eagles in Auckland, with the sides eventually finishing deadlocked at 22 points a piece.
Manly went through the wars during the contest, with Ben Trbojevic (hamstring), Toafofoa Sipley (knee), Lachlan Croker (shoulder) and Haumole Olakau'atu (back) all suffering injuries, while Ethan Bullemor played through a significant cut.
Trbojevic and Sipley would appear little chance of playing next week, while Croker and Olakau'atu's injuries are less clear. Coach Anthony Seibold said Croker didn't suffer a head knock despite being taken out of the game by the NRL's independent doctor for a concussion test, while also saying all players will need to be assessed to ascertain if they are a chance to play the Titans next week.
"I think everyone saw Ben Trbojevic go off with his hamstring, Tof Sipley came off with his knee and Lachlan Croker got taken off on a HIA. It actually wasn't a head knock, it was a shoulder. He was taken off as well. Ethan Bullemor got split pretty heavily and Haumole was working really hard there at the end and he took a bump to his back," Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold said during his post-match press conference.
"[Croker] was ruled a HIA by the independent doctor but it was actually a shoulder. Our club doctor ensured me there was no head knock.
"It's a pretty beaten-up change room to be fair but I was really proud of that effort.
โWe lost three players during the game, so I was really proud of how the guys dug in, kept fighting. It's a tough comp.
โWe will have to get them assessed.โ
While Manly could have up to five players needing at least a week off, Seibold had better news for supporters, saying Matt Lodge, who hasn't played since Round 23 last year when he suffered an ACL injury, Jason Saab, Reuben Garrick and Nathan Brown are all likely to return next weekend.
โIt looks like three or four guys in, three or four guys out," Seibold said.
โIt's really (good) timing that these guys are back healthy and are available for selection.โ
The draw with the Warriors leaves the Sea Eagles in seventh spot on the live NRL ladder ahead of next weekend's clash with the so-far winless Gold Coast Titans.
