Undeniably brave and sedated by morphine, there will still be no masking the pain for Micheal Luck if the Warriors' warhorse misses the remainder of the club's NRL season.

That scenario remains a real possibility for the tackle-holic forward who suffered a gruesome leg injury late in the 16-19 loss to Manly on Saturday night.

Luck underwent surgery on Sunday to cleanse and repair an 18cm gash above his left knee, a wound that left team-mates squeamish and opponents warned to look the other way at Brookvale Oval.

The Queenslander was stretchered off the ground and taken to Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital for surgery that may allow him to return for the playoffs, providing his team-mates can beat either Brisbane on Friday or Parramatta away in the final round of the regular season.

The Warriors' narrow defeat - their fate sealed by a 76th minute Trent Hodkinson field goal - saw them drop a place to seventh on 28 points.

They are still in control of their own destiny although Luck's absence represents a significant blow.

Yet again he spearheaded the Warriors' tackle count, making 47 before Anthony Watmough's sprigs opened up his thigh.

Before he went into surgery, Luck was bullish about a quick return although team doctor John Mayhew was not as optimistic.

"They'll clean it out and sew up the various layers of tissue, muscle and then the skin," Mayhew told NZPA.

"There's a lot of needle work to go on there. Then it's got to heal and if you go back too early you risk breaking it down.

"He'll be in a lot of discomfort for a couple of weeks, he won't move around very easily. Whether he can function is the question, it may be season-ending."

It is hoped Luck will be able to return to Auckland on Monday.

Mayhew visited Luck in hospital and said he was in reasonable spirits.

"He's one of the tougher players I've dealt with," the former All Blacks doctor said.

"He's always a pretty upbeat character, if he can have it repaired and it doesn't get infected and he can recover quickly, who knows?"

Luck wheeled away after tackling Watmough in the 68th minute and realising he was in strife as he stumbled back to the Warriors goal line.

"He felt something in his leg and ran back then thought 'Christ, my leg's a bit sore'," Mayhew said.

"He's looked down and went 'Shit'."

Warriors captain Simon Mannering was revolted when he realised the extent of Luck's injury.

"It looked like he had been bitten by a shark. The skin was ripped off and you could see down to the muscle, all this pink flesh was kind of hanging out.

"He's such a tough bugger he wanted to play on but there was no way."

Hodkinson was told by co-captain Jamie Lyon not to view Luck's predicament.

"He spun around and said 'Whoa' and told me to look the other way.

"The Warriors blokes were freaking out."

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