Warriors playmaker Kieran Foran has been ruled out of Sunday’s NRL clash with Canberra due to a shoulder complaint.
With halfback Shaun Johnson still injured, it has fallen on the Canterbury-bound Foran to be the main playmaker.
But the 27-year-old has struggled in recent weeks, with the Warriors losing five on the trot and falling out of finals contention.
His shoulder issue has forced coach Stephen Kearney to bank on youth for the Raiders match, with Ata Hingano and Mason Lino to line up in the halves and Nathaniel Roache selected at hooker.
The trio, between them, have played just 36 NRL matches – making them the least-experienced hooker-halves combination in the club’s history. Incumbent No.9 Issac Luke has been benched due to poor form.
The club expects Foran to return for next week’s match against South Sydney.