As Brett Seymour makes a timely return for the Warriors on Saturday, tributes began to flow for his stand-in replacement Isaac John.
Seymour was charged with filling Stacey Jones' boots this year but he's made just five outings for the club after a broken thumb and fractured leg hindered his lifeline.
The club sees the Queenslander as its No.1 playmaker, already exercising a one-year contract extension for next season.
When Seymour runs onto Mt Smart Stadium against the Storm, pressure will be on his shoulders to secure a fifth-straight win – one that would be a first for the Auckland-based club since 2008.
Picking up where John left off should be Seymour's priority.
John stepped in to lead the Warriors to four wins in his five appearances - at a time where performances were fast declining - after sitting out the early season for 14 weeks with a broken foot.
He cut a composed and tactically balanced 21-year-old who was growing in stature and influence. But as fate would have it, John was dealt a 'shattering' blow on Sunday, sustaining a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament knee injury in the against-the-odds 12-6 victory over the Panthers.
The 2006 Junior Kiwi had just three NRL matches to his name before this year.
"I'm very disappointed. He came in with very little experience under his belt and he's done an awesome job for us the last five weeks," Warriors captain Simon Mannering said of his gutsy No.7.
Centre Brent Tate has recovered from a broken jaw to take his place on Saturday. Tate knows too well the pain and frustration that comes with an ACL injury, as he's done it twice before.
"I'm absolutely gutted for him," Tate said.
"He's had a tough run with injury. I've never seen a guy work as hard as he does. He's a scrawny little kid. I've seen a huge attitude change with him in the gym and he's gained enormous confidence from that. He's loves football. He'll rehab hard and it's definitely not the last we'll see of him – that's for sure."
Warriors coach Ivan Cleary credited John's work ethic and determination as reasons for his rapid rise.
"It's shattering. I feel really sorry for Isaac," Cleary said.
"He'd just come back from a 14-week injury and had done an amazing job for us. He continues to get better. Nobody works harder on his game than Isaac. It's a real cruel blow because I don't think anyone saw it coming."
John will be back and while his shoes cannot be compared to Jones', they are just as important for Seymour to adequately fill if the Warriors are to make the finals.