The NRL finals race might be fading for Storm, who sit in 12th spot three wins outside the top-eight with six rounds left.
Matters weren't made any easier losing captain and chief organiser in Grant (hamstring strain) last weekend, while five-eighth Cameron Munster (knee) is still a fortnight away.
"He's still around the group a whole heap," Utoikamanu said of Grant.
"He might not be playing but he's still talking as much through our meetings and everything else we're doing.
"We'll miss him out there a bit but still having him on the sideline talking to the boys means he brings just as much."
Storm are without eight of their NRL starting side causing great disruption and contributing to 11 of their losses.
But four of those were by four points or less, and if they had resulted in victories Melbourne - last year's grand finalists - would have been sitting in the top-four this season.
"This year has been tough, probably tougher for those out injured. It hasn't gone as we expected … that seven-match losing streak," Utoikamanu said.
"But there's a lot of games we haven't lost by much so that's a positive in itself."
Another positive has been the rise of NSW under 19s prop, Cooper Clarke, who has played every match in his NRL rookie season.
He counts Utoikamanu as one of his mentors at Storm alongside fellow forwards Josh King and the injured Eli Katoa.
"They've really watched out for me and I look up to them," Clarke said.
"Obviously we've had our ups and downs with injuries and we've had a lot of changes. But we put our best foot forward every week - the boys are trying really hard and keep digging in."
The club has a bye in round 24. adding two competition points to the bag as they look to make an unlikely singles push.
"I think we can still do it," Utoikamanu said.
"We'll have to win most of the last five we have, but each week we'll focus on who we have and how we want to play.
"That's something (coach) Craig (Bellamy) has been pushing all year - what your strengths are and how you can bring those to the team."
