Andrew Webster rates injured halfback Shaun Johnson a better chance of playing in the Warriors' must-win NRL semi-final than missing out.
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But the coach will give the final say to the resurgent playmaker himself, provided he can make it through the final training session before the home clash with Newcastle.
Johnson tore his calf at training in the days after the Warriors' round-26 victory over St George Illawarra late last month.
The 33-year-old had been on track to recover for the finals series before aggravating the injury ahead of the qualifying final against Penrith, who handily beat the Warriors in his absence.
Johnson's fitness will have a significant bearing on the result of Saturday night's do-or-die home clash with the Knights - two of the Warriors' three losses since June have come when the frontrunner for the Dally M Medal was out of the side.
On Tuesday, Webster named Johnson in his side. A day later, the halfback trained separately from teammates but was able to run.
"He trained really well yesterday," Webster said.
The Warriors rested Johnson from Thursday's session to avoid overworking him but he will return to the field for Friday's captain's run, which will go a long way to sealing his selection fate.
"If he can't physically do it, he can't play," Webster said.
"At this stage, all signs are that he will physically be able to do it."
The Warriors will trust Johnson, a veteran of 250 NRL games, to make the final call on his fitness.
"When we've got an experienced player like Shaun, who knows his body really well, if he says I'm really good to go, then we're going that way," Webster said.
"We're going to give him every chance. You've got to understand, he's on the better side of playing."
Johnson is understandably eager to play in the Warriors' first home final since 2008 but won't be able to play through the pain if the injury does not heal in time.
"Soft tissues are different to sore shoulders or sore knees, bone on bone, corks," Webster said.
"You can't run. We just couldn't play him (against Penrith).
"He wanted to play desperately but when I say the word soreness, I mean it's aggravated the injury. He couldn't play."
Webster did not include back-up halfback Ronald Volkman in his extended squad to face Newcastle.
Given Luke Metcalf is still sidelined with a hamstring injury, the Warriors are likely to resort to last week's halves pairing of Te Maire Martin and Dylan Walker if Johnson loses his race against the clock.
Despite both men struggling with the ball against Penrith, Webster endorsed the duo after the game, though was more guarded when quizzed about his contingency plan for Johnson on Thursday.
"I'm just not going to give the opposition what our plan is," he said.
"But it'll be something the boys are familiar with this week at training, something they've done."
Australian Associated Press
