NRL: Seymour joins casualty list

Warriors halfback Brett Seymour could be sidelined for up to eight weeks. Photo / Getty Images

He was the man brought in to turn the Warriors' fortunes around but there's not much he can do from the sidelines.

Brett Seymour missed last night's match against his old club, the Sharks, with a fractured thumb and could be out for up to eight weeks.

The 25-year-old halfback injured his thumb in the second half of last weekend's 24-18 defeat to the Titans.

The club allowed the thumb to settle down but an x-ray later revealed the extent of the damage and Seymour's hand is now in a cast. He is expected to be out of action for between four and eight weeks.

The Warriors have already had an injury-plagued start to the season. New captain Simon Mannering led the side for the first time last night after missing all three trials and last week's season opener with a hamstring injury.

Former skipper Steve Price has been out with a troublesome heel injury, although he could return as early as next week's trip to Brisbane to meet the Broncos.

The 36-year-old has taken part in full training and is said to want to go out with a bang in what is his 17th first-grade season.

Hooker Ian Henderson is not expected back until round five because of a knee injury sustained pre-season, promising back-rower Elijah Taylor is already out for the season with a knee injury and under-20s winger Thomas Ah Van last week suffered a broken leg.

The Warriors decided to keep Seymour's injury quiet in the hope it might throw the Sharks, who might have developed strategies to limit Seymour's effectiveness as playmaker.

The halfback played 39 games for Cronulla over three seasons before his contract was torn up because of repeated alcohol breaches.

They kept Seymour's injury quiet until the starting teams were announced one hour before kickoff.

His absence meant a reshuffle in the Warriors' side for last night with Joel Moon moving from the interchange bench to five-eighth and James Maloney shifting inside one position to halfback.

Some thought was given to handing exciting youngster Shaun Johnson his first NRL start but Moon, more commonly seen as a centre, has experience in the halves having played 13 of his 23 games in the No 6 shirt last season.