Jake still thinks we got this.... but I guess he has to say that.
Prop Jacob Lillyman says Storm's form should give Warriors cause for optimism
Veteran Warriors prop Jacob Lillyman says their Anzac Day opposition are proof one big injury does not spell the end to his team's season.
The Warriors got the news they were dreading on Monday, that fullback and marquee signing
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was out of the season after rupturing an ACL in the 24-20 win over the Bulldogs in Wellington last weekend.
Tuivasa-Sheck's injury leaves a significant hole in the Warriors' bid for a first playoffs appearance since they were beaten in the 2011 grand final.
The Melbourne Storm suffered a similar loss prior to this season when long-time Kangaroos and Queensland No 1 Billy Slater was ruled out with a shoulder injury.
With 21-year-old Cameron Munster taking over from Slater, the Storm have won five of their first seven games to sit just two points behind competition leaders Brisbane.
Lillyman, who played State of Origin with Slater and rates him as the game's best-ever fullback, felt the Warriors could take heart from Melbourne's strong start to the season.
"It is not all doom and gloom," the 32-year-old said.
"It shows if you're prepared to roll your sleeves up you can still negate that loss. Hopefully we won't miss a beat either.
"It is a tough sport and injuries are part of it. When you lose players it doesn't affect the mindset, you just get on with the job. This won't be any different."
Like playmaker
Shaun Johnson and coach Andrew McFadden, Lillyman had no problem admitting losing a player of
Tuivasa-Sheck's calibre was a huge blow.
But Lillyman's optimism the Warriors can still succeed this year comes not only from the way the Storm have performed, but also from the form of the rising star who will fill
Tuivasa-Sheck's boots.
Tuimoala Lolohea impressed as Sam Tomkins' understudy in 2015 and again when taking over at the back early in the gritty display last weekend.
"We have a pretty handy replacement there with Tui," Lillyman said.
"He has been around for a while now so he just slots straight in. Obviously we would have loved to have Roger there for longer, but we have a great lad coming in and we saw what he is capable of on the weekend."
If Lolohea, a 21-year-old with 33 NRL caps since his debut late in the 2014 season, can repeat that effort, the Warriors should go a long way to negating the precise kicking games of Kangaroos and Queensland duo Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk.
Staying in the game mentally for its entirety, after Melbourne scored seven points in the last four minutes for a 21-14 win over the Warriors in round three, was another major focus.
Whatever panned out, Lillyman was adamant his team would not be using the loss of
Tuivasa-Sheck as an excuse.
"Looking at the team and the players we've got, if we turn up every week and have a red hot crack the results are going to come.
"I have every confidence in this team and every confidence we are still going to have a really good year."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/leagu...-form-should-give-warriors-cause-for-optimism
