NRL: Warriors playmaker Kieran Foran hoping to make return from injury against Manly in Perth

Warriors playmaker Kieran Foran hopes to overcome a quad injury before next Saturday's clash against Manly in Perth. Photo / Photosport.

Warriors five-eighth Kieran Foran is confident of overcoming a quad injury to line-up against his old Manly side in next Saturday's NRL clash in Perth.

Foran sat out Friday's gritty 21-14 win over the Canterbury Bulldogs at Mt Smart Stadium with a quad strain suffered in the round 14 victory over the Gold Coast.

Rookie playmaker Ata Hingano was a solid performer filling in for the Kiwis international but Foran expects another week of rehab will see him fit to return against the Sea Eagles at Nib Stadium.

"I'm hopeful for Manly," Foran told Newstalk ZB's Toby Veitch.

"I should be right providing I rehab the quad muscle right this week and I'll be fine flying to Perth with the boys on Thursday."

Foran was impressed with his teammates efforts against a hard-nosed Bulldogs outfit and was pleased they were able to maintain the pressure on their way to claiming a hard-fought victory.

The result was the Warriors third win from their last four games and they now sit on the cusp of the top eight in ninth spot on the premiership ladder.

"It was a really important game for us in the scheme of the season," he said.

"We had spoken about that all week. Both teams were pretty desperate to stay in touch with the eight and we knew just how important it was for the back half of the year.

"It was a gritty performance by us. They're a side that stay in the game for the full 80 and to beat them you have to be able to grind them out for the length of the match and out boys did a great job of that."

The 26-year-old believes the side is benefitting from the likes of young wing Ken Maumalo and back-up hooker Nathaniel Roache feeling more at home in first grade and the consistent form and impact of fearless front-rower James Gavet.

"Ken Maumalo has been outstanding this year. I think I've seen his game go to a whole new level.

"And James Gavet, he's been nearly out best forward. He just offers so much aggression and punch through the middle.

"And I think everyone saw just how good a player Nathaniel Roache is going to be. That was a special performance by him. We'll be needing him to produce that week in week out for us."

Foran is well aware of the Warriors tendency over the last five years to string results together throughout the State of Origin period before slipping out of finals contention in the latter part of the season.

But the former Manly premiership winner believes if they can keep their big names on the park they are every chance of maintaining their form to stay on course for their first finals appearance since 2011.

They'll need to be at their best for their next assignment if they are to overcome the Perth hoodoo that's left them winless in eight visits to Western Australia.

"The way I see it is this side's building nicely. We're all starting to get familiar with one another's games and it's starting to click all of a sudden.

"Providing we can stay healthy, everyone can stay on the field and we can keep working hard, I can't see why the form has to drop off.

"In my eyes, I just see us getting stronger and stronger each week now and hopefully we can just keep the wins ticking over."