NEWCASTLE coach Adam O'Brien is fast running out of options to reinforce his depleted pack after Tyson Frizell limped off during Friday's 18-0 loss to Cronulla at Shark Park with a suspected torn hamstring.
Frizell, appearing in his 200th NRL game, was replaced in the 54th minute and, despite attempting to return to the field, played no further part in proceedings.
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The incumbent Test back-rower will need to make a rapid recovery to line up in Thursday's clash with Manly at McDonald Jones Stadium and would appear more likely to join David Klemmer (knee), Jayden Brailey (Achilles), Mitch Barnett (suspension) and Lachlan Fitzgibbon (knee) on the sidelines.
While O'Brien has been using versatile Kurt Mann as a ball-playing lock this season, it could be argued that Newcastle now have five of their first-choice pack unavailable.
Brodie Jones came into the starting line-up against Cronulla after Barnett was banned for six weeks, and Jirah Momoisea, who played second row in Newcastle's pre-season trial against Canterbury and scored a try, could be promoted in the expected absence of Frizell.
"We're running out of of back-rowers at the moment, with Fitz, Barney and now Tyson ... we need to hang tight during this period and we'll come out the other side of it," O'Brien said.
"While ever we keep putting in, there's signs there that we're not laying down. We're having a crack."
O'Brien said Newcastle were lacking the "punch" usually provided by Klemmer and Barnett.
They will need to rediscover it in a hurry against a Manly team coming off consecutive victories.
