”At halftime, he took his jersey off to try and get it treated and I saw him try and put it back on and it wasn’t a nice look.
“When we found out it was fractured, we tried to get him off but then he turned and chased for that pass and he scored the try and he put it down with his left hand, not his right.
“He’d never scored a try with his left hand ever, he said to me. He’s pretty brave, extremely brave and I just thought it was inspirational what he did last night.“
It is a cruel blow for Watene-Zelezniak, whose try saw him draw level with Shaun Johnson for the second-most tries in Warriors history, with 79.
It was also his 20th try of the season, making him the first Warriors player to score 20 or more tries in multiple seasons for the club, having crossed 24 times in 2023.
With Watene-Zelezniak now facing a stint on the sidelines, he is also likely to fall short of breaking his own club record for the most tries in a season.
The injury also leaves the Warriors facing a shortage of options in the outside backs before next Sunday’s clash with the Newcastle Knights in Auckland.
There is a chance either Luke Laulilii or Haizyn Mellars could make their club debut, with whoever is selected becoming the 300th player to represent the Warriors.
Another option would be to shift Adam Pompey to the wing, allowing Ali Leiataua – who missed the Rabbitohs clash through illness – to return at centre.
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak after being ankle tapped by Cody Walker which led to him breaking his collarbone. Photo / Photosport
Any reshuffle could be short-lived, however, with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad due to return the following week against the Manly Sea Eagles after completing his two-match suspension.
The Warriors will be chasing a fifth straight win, when they face the Knights, who will likely be without winger Dom Young and forward Tyson Frizell after both players were charged by the match review committee.
The Warriors have won their last three games against the Knights and another win would see them equal their record of most wins in a regular season of 17, which was set back in 2002 when they reached their maiden grand final.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.