Brisbane's finals hopes are in tatters with half-back Peter Wallace and star playmaker Darren Lockyer in serious doubt for their final round must-win match.
Broncos legend Allan Langer confirmed to Sportal post-match Wallace's shoulder injury, suffered in the first half of the 36-4 loss to the Warriors, would keep the former New South Wales No.7 out of the season-defining clash with Canberra next week.
After three consecutive defeats, the Broncos must claim two points to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time in 19 years.
Coach Ivan Henjak said Lockyer's rib cartilage injury would prevent him from playing next week and revealed Wallace could not make it out for the second 40 of Friday's lacklustre effort.
Those injures will mean 19-year-old five-eight Corey Norman, whose defence was again badly exposed, will likely be paired with raw halfback Ben Hunt, 20. The duo has just 33 NRL games between them.
Langer admitted things were looking grim for his beloved club.
"It's a tough one, losing two experienced players like that," he said. "This is where the young blokes get experience and learn how tough it is in the NRL. You've got to blood them and go with them.
"[Wallace] doesn't look like he'll be right for next week. Ben Hunt will probably fill that halfback role."
When asked how he felt about the prospect of missing September footy, Langer replied: "It's going to be disappointing, but that's life. If we do get knocked out you've got to prepare for next year. There's another week to go, we've got some hard work to do."
Conceding his side was well off the pace, Henjak was lost for words on who would be his starting halves next week.
"I don't know. We'll have to go home, have a think about it and see who's around," he said.
"This time of year it'd be real handy to have Lockyer there, but he's not. We've got to go with what we've got. We can't be reliant on him. Everyone else has to step up and play their role. At the moment, that's not happening."
Brisbane captain Corey Parker said the Warriors were unstoppable in a first-half performance that saw them take a 24-0 lead to the sheds.
"All we felt like we were doing was tackling," Parker said.
Heading into the business end of the competition Henjak thought his side was struggling to stay with teams who were mounting a charge towards the premiership.
He hailed the Warriors great kicking game, their go forward dominance that led to field position and their enterprising style.
"I've got no doubt everyone's gone up a gear. The ones in contention have gone up another level, and so they should they're coming into a semi-final series. We've struggled to go with them."
"I thought the Warriors went about their work with a real professionalism. We were totally outplayed. [We have to] stick together, have some pride in our club and our jersey, all those things are going to come in to play. We'll find out a lot about ourselves next week."