Warriors coach Nathan Brown has given fans hope of an early return for Shaun Johnson, saying the injured star is more than likely to play this weekend.
Johnson has missed the team's last two matches after injuring his shoulder in the season-opening loss to the Dragons earlier this month.
While it was initially believed the 31-year-old would miss up to four weeks of play, Brown has since named Johnson on the extended bench for Saturday's game against the Brisbane Broncos.
Brown said Wednesday night the selection wasn't for show either.
"He's much, much more likely than unlikely, to be honest with you," Brown. "He trained the other day and got through that well.
"It's just a matter of ticking a couple of boxes, but he wouldn't be playing if he wasn't 100 percent fit."
Brown warned fans not to get too excited though.
"He's still got to tick a couple of boxes today and we're expecting him to be okay, but we probably won't know until tomorrow how he pulls up.
"All signs look like he's more than likely to play."
Should Johnson return, it would be the fourth-straight week of different pairings in the halves after Johnson and Kodi Nikorima played the Dragons, Ash Taylor and Chanel Harris-Tavita were used against Gold Coast Titans, and Nikorima and Harris-Tavita lined up against Wests Tigers last week.
Nikorima and Harris-Tavita were again named as the starting halves on Wednesday evening, but either could lose their spot if Johnson is cleared.
The Warriors play Brisbane at 5pm on Saturday.
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