AFTER lasting just 15 minutes of yesterday's crushing loss to South Sydney because of a painkilling injection gone wrong, Wests Tigers star Robbie Farah was told some were comparing his mishap to that of Graeme Langlands in the 1975 grand final.

"Why, what happened to him," the 23-year-old asked.

Like Langlands, who became a passenger in St George's 38-0 thrashing by Eastern Suburbs after a needle inadvertently struck a nerve in his groin, Farah was unable to perform his usual role.

He lost the feeling in his left leg almost as soon as he ran on to Leichhardt Oval with the aid of two painkillers.

Farah made a surprise appearance last week to steer the Tigers to a vital 27-26 win over Cronulla with a late field goal after having an injection for a painful hip injury. But this time the move backfired after he asked to have a second needle in a different place, and he joined Rabbitohs fullback Nathan Merritt on the sideline as an early casualty.

Merritt will have scans on his left knee today. He twisted it in a tackle in the opening minute and is rated little chance of being fit for Saturday's derby against Sydney Roosters at Telstra Stadium.

In a twist, however, Farah is now far more likely to play at the 2000 Olympic venue on Friday night than he would have been if he had lasted yesterday's match.

"We rolled the dice and we went wrong this week, it would appear - he looked like Changa Langlands out there …" Tigers coach Tim Sheens said. "But you're in a situation where you're playing for a semi-final and if you don't play him and you get beat you wonder whether you should have, or if you play him and it doesn't work out the same thing applies."

It is understood that had the Tigers won yesterday and all but secured a final-eight berth, Farah would have been rested from this week's clash with Newcastle. But that match has now become a must-win for the 2005 premiers so he is expected to play.

"He didn't play today so he didn't get hurt but we'll certainly have to monitor the situation with the painkillers," Sheens said.

Tigers doctor Donald Kuah, who administered the painkilling injections to the front and side of Farah's left hip about 25 minutes before kick-off, said it was unlikely the Lebanon international could have backed up five days after playing if he had seen more action yesterday.

"He would have struggled, but he was better this week than last week and the expectation was that he would be better next week again," Kuah said. "His hip pointer was actually fine today but he was feeling a bit sorer to the front [of the hip].

"We still jabbed the other area but he was a bit concerned about this area to the front a little bit so we jabbed that, too, with the knowledge that it may numb it. With 20:20 hindsight you'd look at that and you may have been able to do without it. We'll steer clear of that next week, that's for sure."

A disappointed Farah was reluctant to talk after the match but said: "I probably shouldn't have played."

"In the first couple of minutes of the game, I tried to run and every time I stepped my knee sort of buckled under me," he said.

"It just got worse. I was useless out there so I had to come off, I couldn't do anything out there."

Meanwhile, Souths athletic performance director Errol Alcott last night told the Herald Merritt was unlikely to recover in time to play the Roosters on Saturday evening even if scans showed no serious damage.

After receiving treatment on the field, Merritt tried to play on but hobbled to the sideline in the fourth minute and remained there.

THE RUN HOME

STORM 42 (+306): Titans (h).

SEA EAGLES 36 (+216): Dragons (h).

COWBOYS 30 (-77): Bulldogs (h).

WARRIORS 27 (+155): Panthers (a).

EELS 26 (+54): Dragons (a)*, Broncos (h).

BULLDOGS 26 (+53): Cowboys (a).

RABBITOHS 26 (+23): Roosters (h).

BRONCOS 24 (+81 ): Eels (a).

TIGERS 24 (-18): Knights (h).

TITANS 22 (-106): Storm (a).

ROOSTERS 21 (-179): Rabbitohs (a).

SHARKS 20 (+50): Raiders (a).

RAIDERS 20 (-120): Sharks (h).

PANTHERS 18 (-64): Warriors (h).

DRAGONS 18 (-82): Eels (h)*, Manly (a).

KNIGHTS 18 (-292): Tigers (a).