NRL: Ropati out for at least four weeks

Jerome Ropati. Photo / Greg Bowker

The Warriors' season-opening 26-20 loss to Manly at Eden Park yesterday carried an added cost of a new injury for comeback centre Jerome Ropati.

The 27-year-old Ropati was forced off the field just 27 minutes into his first NRL outing since last March with a high ankle sprain.

Having returned at last from knee surgery, the prognosis after the match was that Ropati faced four to six weeks on the sideline although further assessment would be required to establish the length of the lay-off.

His loss forced head coach Brian McClennan to run with the team's two debutants Ben Henry and Konrad Hurrell in the centres. Hurrell had originally been slated to start but in the end McClennan opted to use Henry instead with Hurrell moved to the interchange.