Warriors back Peta Hiku looks set to be handed a shot at redemption against Penrith in their critical NRL clash in Auckland.
Gerard Beale hasn't shaken off a hamstring niggle and is unlikely to be cleared for Friday's match, leaving the door open for Hiku to make his first start in six weeks.
Experienced Kiwis centre Hiku could be excused for having nightmares about the Panthers, having endured a shocking evening on defence in round 17 as the Warriors were over-run 36-4 in Sydney.
Despite missing seven tackles, Hiku started the next match against Brisbane.
An improved display couldn't prevent a fit-again Beale claiming the right-edge centre berth.
Hiku was omitted for three straight weeks before making two brief bench appearances this month, in the win over Newcastle and last week's loss to Canterbury.
Coach Stephen Kearney says it will be ideal to field the gifted 25-year-old heading into a probable finals campaign.
"We'd probably try to find a way to get him into the group at some stage because he's a highly-skilled footballer," Kearney said.
"I don't think he likes being squeezed onto the back row, where we put him last week and the week before.
"It's always a big a roller-coaster, an NRL season, it's how you navigate your way through it and he's done a pretty good job so far."
The door has been swinging both ways at the Warriors medical ward.
Five-eighth Blake Green (calf) is also missing, replaced by Mason Lino, but that is countered by the return to fitness of Green's former Melbourne teammate Tohu Harris.
Influential second-rower Harris has been named on the interchange bench after shaking off damage to both his knees which had sidelined him for nearly two months.
He could yet start, adding some much-needed stability to the eighth-placed Warriors in what is a high-stakes game.
Victory over the fifth-placed Panthers would guarantee a first play-off appearance for seven years for the Auckland outfit while a loss could leave their fate resting on the result of a final-round showdown with Canberra.
However, the good news could come 24 hours earlier.
If the ninth-placed Wests Tigers lose to Manly on Thursday, it will hand the Kiwi club a ticket to the post-season.
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