KEY POINTS:
Micheal Luck first ran out for the Warriors in round one of 2006 and he's since played 70 games without a break.
But the team will have to beat the Cronulla Sharks without him this week.
Luck has a shoulder injury and will also miss the trip away to face the Dragons the following weekend but is expected to return for the last two matches, against Penrith at Mt Smart and the Eels at Parramatta.
They are in a five-way tie on 24 points, with the Raiders, Dragons and Knights who are in the top-eight and with the Tigers who are not.
But they sit behind all the others because of big losses early in the season which left them lagging in terms of points differential - the other four are well in the positive, the Warriors are - 95. It is points differential that is likely to be the factor that decides which teams get places seven and eight and which get nine, 10 and 11. It's going to take at least 28 points to make the eight but because of that poor PD the Warriors need three wins from the last four rounds.
The Sharks front as a good opportunity to grab the first of three wins.
Their defence is tight and that is what has them in a leading position but they struggle to score points, their total of 367 better only than the tail-end Rabbitohs and Bulldogs.
Luck's tackling count is usually the highest in the team, a season average of 36, best in the NRL. "Considering the workload he has and the job he's required to do, it's a tribute to him that he has been able to put such a long run of appearances together," coach Ivan Cleary said of Luck.
His work falls to Logan Swann who shifts to lock while 19-year-old Ben Matulino gets his first run-on start after top work from the bench.
Wairangi Koopu returns from the Auckland Vulcans for his sixth game of the year and his first since June 6 against South Sydney.
Brisbane fullback Karmichael Hunt has an eye infection and is likely to miss the home game against the Dragons on Friday. Wing Denan Kemp has been training in his position.
Tigers prop Todd Payten has pleaded guilty to a lifting tackle charge and will miss three weeks. The Panthers have lost Wade Graham for the season, with a knee injury.
