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SYDNEY - Scans will determine how long the New Zealand Warriors are without captain Steve Price whose injury blighted their 18-32 National Rugby League (NRL) loss to Melbourne Storm.
The Warriors are braced for a period without their inspirational leader, who suffered a suspected torn hamstring against the defending champions at a sweltering Telstra Dome last night.
They also have plenty to work on before hosting Parramatta on Sunday after a rash of what coach Ivan Cleary described as "schoolboy errors" when they were well in the game at 12-16 down at halftime.
Price limped off just before the 20-minute mark when he jarred his left leg while sidestepping on the tacky surface.
"I went to step and it was as though the ground wasn't there and I sort of hyper-extended my knee," a downcast Price said.
"Then I felt a little pop, it was a bit painful and then it got worse after that."
Price was unsure how long he'd be sidelined for, saying he'd never experienced such an injury at the top of the hamstring.
"We've just got to wait and see I suppose, get home and get some scans and hopefully it's not that bad and I'm just being a bit sooky."
It means the Warriors will be without their best two players, with fullback Wade McKinnon (knee) already out for the season.
A disappointed Cleary insisted Price's absence wasn't to blame for their defeat in 36degC evening temperatures at Telstra Dome, observing the Storm also lost key forward Ryan Hoffman with rib cartilage damage.
The Storm scored five tries to three, with Billy Slater scorching in for a first half hat-trick and earning the label from coach Craig Bellamy as the best fullback in the NRL.
Bench forward Sika Manu, from Wellington, also got the coach's plaudits.
Giant Warriors winger Manu Vatuvei was a prominent figure for the visitors, scoring two tries, setting up the other to Jerome Ropati, but also committing blunders that led to two Storm touchdowns.
"In these early season games it's the team who can avoid errors. Especially in the heat tonight, you need to be able to deal with some pressure and we just couldn't do that," Cleary said.
"... we just made far too many schoolboy errors and gave ourselves a bit of tackling practice.
"The whole second half, we just ground ourselves into the dirt."
Three such errors came from second half kickoffs when Epalahame Lauaki (twice) and Michael Witt kicked the ball dead on the full.
Witt's boot was otherwise accurate, kicking three goals from three including two from the sideline after his 92 per cent success rate last year.
Cleary and his players were irked by the Storm's delayed arrival at the start of both halves.
The infuriated Warriors briefly strode off the field before the second half as the Storm finally emerged after an 18-minute halftime break.
"It's people's jobs to get that sort of thing right and they didn't, not only once but twice. Someone at the NRL's going to be in a bit of trouble," Cleary said.
"If they (Storm) give us that much respect we must be doing something right."
Bellamy was adamant he wasn't aware they'd held up play, and no officials told them they were running late.
Storm captain Cameron Smith gave credit to the Warriors who were looking solid before the break.
"I said earlier in the year they were going to be the real dark horses of the competition and I think they're real contenders for the comp this season," Smith said.
- NZPA
