WESTS coach Rick Stone is hopeful he will have to wait only one more week before former NRL veterans Luke Walsh and Will Smith are reunited in his halves.
Walsh has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since the Rosellas beat Wyong on May 5, and Stone said the ex-Knights and Penrith playmaker was unlikely to be fit for Sunday's round-six clash with Macquarie at Peacock Field.
"He could probably play this week if it was a semi-final or a massive game, but we'll probably hold him back until next week," Stone told the Newcastle Herald.
"He's had a few little niggles since the start of this season, so we're just trying to see if we can get on top of this one and get him playing a block of games."
Walsh recently turned 37 but Stone said "he looks after himself and he's still in good shape".
In his absence, former Penrith, Parramatta, Gold Coast and West Tigers utility Smith has deputised at halfback.
"Will's been massive for us," Stone said.
"He's taken a bit more of a senior role since Walshy's been out, but obviously we're looking forward to having them both back in the team."
As well as Walsh, former Knights crowd favourite Nathan Ross (hamstring) and Stone's son Ben (concussion) are both unavailable, yet the Rosellas have made a decent start with three wins and a draw from their first five games, to sit fifth on the ladder.
Stone described Macquarie, who have one win from four starts, as "a really good young side with plenty of potential".
The Scorpions will be without skipper Jordan Noble, who has been forced to retire because of a broken thumb.
In other games, Kurri host arch-rivals Cessnock, and Maitland are at home against Wyong today. On Sunday Northern Hawks host Central and South Newcastle travel to The Entrance.
