The New Zealand Warriors have confirmed that Jackson Ford’s latest injury will not end his season if the team remains in the NRL finals. Ford returned last weekend for the club’s Qualifying Final against the Dolphins, having previously sustained an injury that kept him out for the second half of the season.
Ford came off the bench and played for 24 minutes before suffering an ankle injury in a tackle. Although he won’t play this weekend, the club hasn’t ruled out his return for a potential Preliminary Final or the Grand Final.
James Fisher-Harris and Mitch Barnett will start for the Warriors this weekend. They will rely on their backup players, including Demitric Vaimauga and Tanner Stowers-Smith, to dominate the middle of the park against the Knights.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Tanah Boyd are out for the season with ACL injuries. However, the Warriors’ latest medical update suggests that Rocco Berry and Luke Metcalf, who are recovering from hamstring injuries, could play in the finals. Metcalf may return for the Preliminary Final, potentially starting or coming off the bench.
Berry’s chances of returning to the Warriors’ best 17 are slim, but Metcalf’s strong performances before his injury make him a likely candidate to start or come off the bench once he returns. The Warriors need to stay alive in the finals for these players to have a chance to contribute.