Coach Brian McClennan says it will be business as usual for his remaining props when the Warriors complete their NRL trial program against Queensland Cup side Sunshine Coast on Saturday night.

The Warriors are two from two in their pre-season matches so far.

However, the wins over NRL rivals Gold Coast and South Sydney have come at a cost, with Jacob Lillyman and Sam Rapira both getting injured and set to miss the first few weeks of the season.

While that leaves Ben Matulino and Russell Packer as the only experienced props in his squad, McClennan has no thoughts about being cautious with the pair in Whangarei.

“I’m not putting our props on ice or in cotton wool,” he said on Thursday.

“You crack on. That’s part of the game. You’re going to get more injuries than this during the season.”

Against Sunshine Coast, Matulino and Packer will be backed up by Sione Lousi and newcomer John Palavi, both normally back rowers.

McClennan rated Lousi as the pick of the Warriors’ props in the first two trials.

Palavi, 19, was the club’s under-20s player of the year last season and has just had his contract upgraded so he will join the NRL squad fulltime.

Despite the club’s injury list – forwards Micheal Luck and Steve Rapira will also make a delayed start to the campaign – McClennan said he had a rough idea of his starting line-up against Manly.

Some selections were pretty much locked in, such as James Maloney and Shaun Johnson in the halves, and skipper Simon Mannering and Feleti Mateo in the second row, while Jerome Ropati, returning from almost a year out with a knee injury, was the No.1 centre.

“But I’m looking at a couple of things this weekend,” McClennan said, adding that the match served other purposes as well.

He said it was important to give up-and-comers the chance to press their claims, citing the likes of another 19-year-old, Sio Siua Taukeiaho, who would get a run in the back row.

“I think he could be a good’un, this boy. So he might throw the cat among the pigeons as far as saying, ‘Hey, I’m ready’.”