NRL: Warrior Ben Henry out for season

NZ Warriors Ben Henry on his way to score against the The Tigers in the Round 3 match. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Warriors back-rower Ben Henry has suffered a season-ending injury for the second time in less than two years after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Sunday's defeat to Brisbane at Mount Smart Stadium.

The 23-year-old had been on the field only eight minutes when he was helped off after injuring the same knee he had surgery on after a training field mishap in May 2013.

"It's devastating for Ben and for everyone at the club. We all feel for him," Warriors head coach Andrew McFadden said. "After missing most of 2013, Ben now has to face going through another knee reconstruction. It has hit everyone really hard but we'll give him all the support and care we can."

Henry also injured the knee in his NRL return against St George Illawarra last March but initial fears of another ACL issue were allayed when scans indicated he had a cartilage tear instead. He returned a few weeks later, playing a total of 16 games before having offseason surgery to remedy the cartilage complaint.

Henry joins Sam Tomkins (knee), Sam Rapira (hamstring), Ken Maumalo (hamstring), Konrad Hurrell (knee), Glen Fisiiahi (shoulder) and David Fusitu'a (shoulder) on the injury list.

It has seen Ngani Laumape and Sebastine Ikahihifo called up to make their first NRL appearances of the season against the Storm in Melbourne on Monday. Ikahihifo has been called in to replace Henry on the bench.

Laumape comes into the centres for his 31st NRL match after an impressive return from a knee injury for the club's New South Wales Cup side against North Sydney last Saturday.

Monday's match will mark Ryan Hoffman's 250th NRL and he will do it against the club he played for 245 times.

This time the 31-year-old will have the strange experience of lining up against three players who were his constant team-mates for so long and have already joined the 250-game list - Cameron Smith (288), Billy Slater (274) and Cooper Cronk (256).

Hoffman, who has scored three tries in his first four games for the Warriors, spent 11 seasons with the Storm and he was with Wigan in 2011.

Both teams will go into the Easter Monday contest on the back of disappointing defeats - the Warriors went down 24-16 to Brisbane and Melbourne led North Queensland 17-10 with just a few minutes left last night before the Cowboys took it to extra time with a converted try and field goal - then Jonathan Thurston kicked another field goal to give his side its first win of the season.

The Storm are seventh on four points and the Warriors ninth with the same record.

The Warriors beat the Storm 16-10 the last time they met at AAMI Park last season - a match that gave McFadden his first win after taking over as coach only two weeks earlier.

Warriors team to play the Storm at AAMI Park, Melbourne, on Monday (5pm): Tuimoala Lolohea, Jonathan Wright, Ngani Laumape, Solomone Kata, Manu Vatuvei, Chad Townsend, Shaun Johnson, Jacob Lillyman, Thomas Leuluai, Ben Matulino, Bodene Thompson, Ryan Hoffman, Simon Mannering (c). Interchange (one to be omitted): Nathan Friend, Sebastine Ikahihifo, Sam Lisone, Albert Vete, Sione Lousi