The New Zealand Warriors have confirmed fullback Taine Tuaupiki is expected to miss up to two weeks on the sidelines following a foot sprain sustained in the club's 18-6 loss to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
Tuaupiki left the contest in the 25th minute and was replaced by Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, with the spine disruption playing a role in the Warriors succumbing to defeat at Accor Stadium on Saturday.
Nicoll-Klokstad has been named to line up at fullback this weekend, and will most likely feature in the one jersey against Penrith the week after.
The 41-game livewire was returning an attacking kick from his in-goal when a tackle attempt made him land awkwardly on his foot.
He then immediately left the field in discomfort and was spotted on the sidelines in a moon boot in the second half.
The Bulldogs were up for the contest in their win against the Warriors, buoyed by the return of skipper Stephen Crichton, who guided them to victory following the birth of his child earlier in the day.
Saturday night's win keeps the Bulldogs' season alive, and with Manly's form falling off a cliff in the past month, they are making a late push to be involved in September.
Meanwhile, the Warriors slip down to third, dropping to four points behind the Panthers in their race to claim the minor premiership.
With the Cronulla Sharks now hot on their tail, they will need to get back to the impressive form which has seen them remain in the top quarter of the ladder for the bulk of 2026.
With the Sharks and Warriors both equal on 30 points, and the Dolphins close behind on 28, the Auckland-based club will need to make sure they bounce back when they visit the Gold Coast this weekend.
Although they will receive a late-season boost, with star prop Jackson Ford closing in on a return in the next few weeks to add firepower back into the engine room.
Ford suffered a torn pec when the Warriors travelled to Christchurch in June.
The Gerringong Lion junior was enjoying career-best form this year, with the injury derailing his campaign and potentially robbing him of a call-up to the NSW Blues for the Game 3 decider.
The club will travel to the Gold Coast to face the Titans on Saturday afternoon.
