A hamstring injury in training to captain Simon Mannering has dealt a blow to the Warriors' pre-season plans.
Mannering - controversially appointed to replace Steve Price as captain in November - suffered the injury during sprint training at College Rifles Sports Club in Remuera on Thursday.
Initial assessments suggested the
injury would take three to six weeks to heal but last night Mannering said it was already improving and he hoped to be back in action for the first pre-season match against the Sydney Roosters in Rotorua on February 13.
"I was doing some speed work and she just sort of pulled on me," Mannering said.
"I saw the physio [on Thursday] and it was a bit sore then but it already feels a lot better so hopefully it is not going to be that long."
One of the game's most durable players, Mannering played 92 consecutive matches for the Warriors before that streak was ended by a knee strain late last season. He then sat out the Kiwis' Four Nations tour to Europe in a bid to regain full fitness heading into his first season as captain.
"I was feeling really good and had got rid of most of my niggles and was feeling really fresh," Mannering said.
"It is my first pre-season in a while and I was really enjoying it. But these things happen. There are still a few weeks until pre-season trials start for me to recover and then get back the fitness that I've lost."
The injury does beg the question as to who will deputise when Mannering is absent, something he said hadn't been discussed by coach Ivan Cleary.
The most obvious candidates would be Price and his former deputy Micheal Luck.
"I don't think Ivan has really specified anyone yet but you could pick a number of blokes so I'm sure closer to the season they will have someone in line," Mannering said.
After facing the Roosters, the Warriors have trials against the Cowboys on February 20 and Manly on February 27.
Their first NRL match is away to the Gold Coast Titans on March 14.
