The Melbourne Storm have announced that star winger Will Warbrick has sustained a hip strain.
Warbrick’s injury, which occurred during the Storm’s Round 12 loss to the Manly Sea Eagles before their Round 13 bye, will cause him to miss this weekend’s game against the Newcastle Knights. Unfortunately, Warbrick’s return for Round 15 is uncertain, with the club needing to monitor his progress next week before deciding if he can travel to Auckland to face the New Zealand Warriors.
Grant Anderson has been moved into the starting lineup on the wing to replace Warbrick, with Bronson Garlick joining as the new bench utility. This lineup change might not have been necessary if star fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen was fit. Still, with Papenhuyzen out, Sua Fa’alogo is filling the number-one jersey for Craig Bellamy’s team.
Melbourne also faces a decision regarding Harry Grant’s availability for the game against Newcastle, as the star player will represent Queensland in the State of Origin match on Wednesday night and may need to back up just four days later.
Warbrick’s absence is a significant loss for the Storm, given his impressive performance this year, which includes scoring five tries and averaging 129 meters per game. The match against Newcastle is set to kick off at 2 pm (AEST) on Sunday.
