A final decision on the fitness of Titans captain Nate Myles won't be made until Friday despite coach Neil Henry naming him in the starting side to face the Warriors in Auckland on Saturday.
Myles was a late withdrawal from the team that accounted for Penrith 32-6 last weekend but with Dave Taylor (suspended), Ryan Simpkins (ACL) and Agnatius Paasi (foot) all unavailable, the captain will be given every chance to return from a calf injury this week.
Taylor accepted the early guilty plea for a Grade 1 careless high tackle on Tuesday that with carry-over points earned him a one-week suspension, Eddy Pettybourne is back in the squad after serving a one-match ban himself.
The calf injury to Myles was first sustained at an intense training session earlier in the year when he copped a knock from Caleb Binge and the Titans will take Mark Ioane as cover should Myles not recover in time.
"If his leg flares up and he can't perform he'll be the first one to put his hand up like he did last week and say that he's just not right to go," Henry said.
"He won't be selfish about it but we have the luxury of taking 18 players across there, training over there on Friday and we can make that decision later in the week.
"He was still doing some alternative training [on Tuesday] morning but he's feeling a lot better with his calf.
"It's a double cork so it calcifies around the muscle and is quite sore. It was pressing on a nerve which was impacting on him being able to run properly last week so we expect him to take the field this week.
"He sustained the original injury at training and has suffered a couple of knocks on the same spot. It's settled down and he should be able to play."
Ioane has earned his recall after some barnstorming performances for Burleigh in the Intrust Super Cup but on Tuesday was still feeling the after effects of a nasty gash above his eye that required 15 stitches suffered in the opening 10 minutes against Ipswich on Sunday.
He has been named on a five-man bench alongside fellow former Junior Warrior Matt Robinson, Eddy Pettybourne, Matthew White and Kierran Moseley with Henry conscious of the need to get the balance of his interchange right against the power that the Warriors possess.
"They're a big, powerful team and you need some workers there but you've got to get the balance with a bit of leg speed as well and some guys who can create something," he said.
"We've got Kierran Moseley who can come on around the ruck but they are a tough team to play."
