Cronulla coach John Morris admits he can be more conservative with his injured stars if his class of rookies keep winning NRL games.
The Sharks will still be without Matt Moylan, Shaun Johnson, Wade Graham and Aaron Woods when they open Magic Round against Gold Coast on Thursday.
Moylan, who is recovering from a hamstring issue, is considered a chance of returning next week, with Johnson, also nursing a hamstring complaint, the following round.
But Morris suggested their return dates could be pushed back if the likes of 20-year-old half Kyle Flanagan and 18-year-old centre Bronson Xerri continue to perform.
"We've got some very key players who are on the sidelines. Their return dates are maybe not the next week, the weekend after," Morris said on Wednesday.
"So if the guys are getting the job done now, that helps us manage when we bring those players back... hopefully we don't have to rush them back.
"If the team's getting the job done, we can be a little bit more conservative with their approach.
"It's valuable for us to perform while they're out."
While Graham (knee) and Woods (foot) are unlikely to return until after Cronulla's round 12 bye, Morris is hoping he can still be careful with his other two key men.
Moylan hasn't played since round three while Johnson has missed one game.
"Their return dates are always a bit heart-in-mouth type stuff. With hamstrings you've got to make sure you get it right," Morris said.
"Even when they do come back, they're probably not going to be at their best and you're not going to give them the same sort of load as when they're fully fit.
"So you've got to ease them back in."
While proud of his team's upset of Melbourne last week, Morris said the challenge will now be to back up their effort against the 14th-placed Titans.
The Sharks are seventh despite their injury troubles.
"That's what it's about now. It's about getting some consistency about our season. We haven't really got it going," Morris said.
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