KEY POINTS:
There could hardly be a greater contrast - the Brisbane Broncos, limping and bleeding after losing their fourth-straight test player to injury, have their NRL finals football chances severely reduced by a tough run-in. The Warriors, meanwhile, are humming along and contemplating a draw which boosts their top eight hopes.
Karmichael Hunt was the latest Brisbane star to be invalided out. He is expected to be out for up to six weeks after a hamstring tear, joining Darren Lockyer and Brent Tate whose 2007 seasons are over.
Test centre Justin Hodges (knee) ran at training this week but it's highly unlikely he'll be rushed back for tomorrow's clash with Parramatta.
Brisbane have already taken a gamble by playing veteran back-rower Tonie Carroll at five-eighth for Lockyer and may punt on inexperienced 20-year-old Denan Kemp in the No1 jumper over Darius Boyd.
If Hunt's injury is not a knockout blow to the premier's title defence, then it's certainly a standing 10 count for the groggy Broncos who'll have to produce something special.
Their competition run-in is also one of the toughest - they play the Sharks, Manly, the Storm, the resurgent Bulldogs, the Raiders and then the Eels again in their efforts to stay in the top eight.
Hunt, who left Red Hill on crutches, was clearly distressed as he limped off the training paddock.
"I knew straight away I had done something," said Hunt. "The timing of the injury is not great, but there's probably never a good time for an injury like this. All I can do is concentrate hard on my rehabilitation work and try and get back on the field as soon as possible."
Meanwhile, the Warriors are taking little comfort from what looks, on paper, to be a favourable run.
Seventh on the table, the Warriors will face five teams below them in their remaining seven rounds as they try to make the playoffs for the first time in four years. But the table is so compressed, with just four points separating fifth and 13th, that just one win or defeat can lead to a big change in position.
The Warriors moved up four spots on the back of their 44-16 victory over St George Illawarra last weekend.
Today they travel to Campbelltown to face the sixth-placed Wests Tigers, one of the two remaining opponents who are above them on the ladder. The others are second-placed Manly.
Also on their schedule are Newcastle, the Sydney Roosters, Gold Coast, Canberra and Penrith.
Coach Ivan Cleary believed the Warriors would still need five more wins, which would take them to 28 points, to be certain of making the cut.
Cleary has a fully healthy squad to pick from, unlike Tigers coach Tim Sheens, who has two of his strike weapons, half Benji Marshall and fullback Brett Hodgson, injured.
Sheens has shuffled his line-up after the 34-4 defeat to Manly last round.
Skipper Steve Price agreed the volatility in the results each week meant the Warriors couldn't afford to drop their guard.
"We went from 11th to seventh last week on one game. It's quite easy to go back there."
- NZPA
