The Warriors may have improved their record to 6-5 in the Harbour City on Friday night, but the Kiwi club's win over the Bulldogs was soured with five-eighth Ronald Volkman forced under the knife following a gnarly finger injury.
The ex-Rooster was impressive in his upon returning to his old home town, racking up 19 tackles, 50 kick metres and 89 run metres in the Warriors' 24-12 win at Accor Stadium.
But as they say, there is no gain without pain, a proverb Volkman proved to be true after playing on after the bone of his ring finger perforated the skin on his left hand.
Valiant and brave in his desire to keep battling for the two points, Volkman reportedly turned down injections during the break, going on to play out the contest alongside veteran half Shaun Johnson.
Since the final hooter, Volkman has since gone under the knife to repair a similar injury to that sustained by Storm playmaker Cameron Munster during Round 1.
And while the 20-year-old is tipping that he will miss the next fortnight, he remains upbeat that he will be up and at them for Andrew Webster's side before too long.
“It was just a little compound fracture on my (ring) finger on my left hand,” Volkman expressed to AAP.
“It was bleeding all day, but it was all good.
“It was just in the mess of a tackle. I looked at my hand and it started bleeding. The bone came out, but I didn't want to look at it.
“I just strapped it back up, it's all good.”
With a bye up Volkman's sleeve and Munster also returning within two weeks from his own compound fracture, the pain of the break, the puncture and the surgery isn't set to last for the youngster.
“It was pretty numb (at half-time). I just strapped it straight up and went straight out,” Volkman said.
“We are lucky we have the bye, so (Saturday) morning have a little operation on it and it should be sweet.”
The Warriors' halves are currently at an intriguing juncture, with both Volkman and Te Maire Martin (broken) currently sidelined and Johnson out of contract at the cessation of the season.
Speaking in the wake of the win that pushed his side to seventh on the table, Webster expressed that while Johnson was yet to make a decision on his future, he seemed happy at his Mount Smart stomping ground.
Recent reports have suggested that Tim Sheens remains keen to lure to snappy playmaker to Leichhardt for the 2024 season.
The Warriors will enjoy the bye in Round 12 before doing battle with Brisbane (H), The Dolphins (H), Canberra (A) and St George Illawarra in the month to follow.