Experienced New Zealand Warriors forward Micheal Luck and standoff James Maloney have been ruled out of tomorrow's National Rugby League match against the Wests Tigers in Sydney with injury.
Tireless loose forward Luck suffered split webbing during Sunday's defeat of South Sydney and has spent the last three days on a drip in an attempt to quell the infection, which emerged after the cut was stitched up post-game.
Team medical staff decreed he shouldn't travel with the team today to avoid the chance of the infection spreading, leaving Luck disappointed.
"At the moment it looks a bit messy, like I've got a red volleyball on the end of my arm," he told Radio Sport today.
"I feel pretty ordinary for letting the boys down but in all honesty I don't think I could have done the jersey proud this weekend."
"Maybe if the game was on Sunday, I would have been a good chance of playing."
Hooker specialist Ian Henderson will be promoted from the interchange bench to start in Luck's place, with Sione Lousi added to the bench. Lousi made his debut against Gold Coast in the opening round of the season.
Also promoted from the bench for the 12th-round match at Campbelltown Stadium is standoff Joel Moon.
He replaces Maloney, who was forced out of the Souths match after 24 minutes with a back injury. Maloney was ruled out after last night's training session.
Moon has been playing for the Auckland Vulcans in the New South Wales Cup since the Warriors' eighth-round loss to the Canberra Raiders.
Team: Lance Hohaia, Kevin Locke, Brent Tate, Jerome Ropati, Bill Tupou, Joel Moon, Brett Seymour, Jesse Royal, Aaron Heremaia, Russell Packer, Simon Mannering (captain), Ukuma Ta'ai, Ian Henderson. Interchange: Ben Matulino, Jeremy Latimore, Lewis Brown, Sione Lousi.
- NZPA
NRL: Warriors without Luck and Maloney
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.