redemption
New member
from today's SMH by Chris Barrett & Glenn Jackson
BENJI MARSHALL is rated a 50-50 chance of taking the field for Wests Tigers' sudden-death encounter with Canberra this Friday. Tigers medical staff were yesterday more upbeat about Marshall's playing prospects than in the immediate aftermath of Saturday night's qualifying final defeat to the Roosters, where he missed the dying stages of normal time and all of golden-point extra time with a knee injury.
Tigers doctor Donald Kuah ruled out a medial ligament tear through a portable ultrasound after the match, but there were still concerns about the bruising around the ligament, the chief cause of his distress.
''He's pretty sore,'' Kuah said yesterday. ''I would normally say 50-50, but being a semi-final, they may lean towards rolling the dice.
''There's no tears to the ligaments, so it's pretty much about him icing it for the next 48 hours.''
Sheens summoned his players to a morning briefing at the club's training headquarters at Concord - partly to raise their spirits after the disappointment of Saturday night's 100th-minute defeat, partly to take stock. A number of players are in doubt to play against the Raiders, with Marshall the most high profile and also probably the most serious. Liam Fulton, Chris Heighington and Robbie Farah (all ankle) were also limping post-game, while second-rower Gareth Ellis has a lower back problem. Ellis has an added concern with the prospect of the NRL match-review committee charging him over a high shot on Roosters five-eighth Todd Carney. Centre Geoff Daniela also has a hamstring problem, leaving him in doubt to face the Raiders.
The Tigers could welcome back fullback Wade McKinnon from a hamstring injury, but it is believed Tim Moltzen has little chance of making a surprise return despite speculation to the contrary. Moltzen's recovery from a knee injury has been progressing well and strength tests indicate that the afflicted leg is almost as strong as his good one. But he has not yet trained with his teammates and is unlikely to be considered.
Marshall's injury is the one that will be dominating the lead-up to the clash at Canberra Stadium. Tigers halfback Robert Lui said the absence of the five-eighth would leave a sizeable hole in the squad.
''Benji is a big part of our game, of course,'' he said. ''Hopefully he gets himself right for next week.''
Lui almost gave the Tigers a week off, which would have allowed the players two weeks to recover. His 88th minute field goal skewed millimetres away from the left upright. ''I hit it good and I thought I got it, but it just missed to the left. Probably by only 10 inches or something,'' he said.
''It's disappointing. It was my first final in the NRL so it's a learning curve for me just coming away from that … We're still a chance.''
BENJI MARSHALL is rated a 50-50 chance of taking the field for Wests Tigers' sudden-death encounter with Canberra this Friday. Tigers medical staff were yesterday more upbeat about Marshall's playing prospects than in the immediate aftermath of Saturday night's qualifying final defeat to the Roosters, where he missed the dying stages of normal time and all of golden-point extra time with a knee injury.
Tigers doctor Donald Kuah ruled out a medial ligament tear through a portable ultrasound after the match, but there were still concerns about the bruising around the ligament, the chief cause of his distress.
''He's pretty sore,'' Kuah said yesterday. ''I would normally say 50-50, but being a semi-final, they may lean towards rolling the dice.
''There's no tears to the ligaments, so it's pretty much about him icing it for the next 48 hours.''
Sheens summoned his players to a morning briefing at the club's training headquarters at Concord - partly to raise their spirits after the disappointment of Saturday night's 100th-minute defeat, partly to take stock. A number of players are in doubt to play against the Raiders, with Marshall the most high profile and also probably the most serious. Liam Fulton, Chris Heighington and Robbie Farah (all ankle) were also limping post-game, while second-rower Gareth Ellis has a lower back problem. Ellis has an added concern with the prospect of the NRL match-review committee charging him over a high shot on Roosters five-eighth Todd Carney. Centre Geoff Daniela also has a hamstring problem, leaving him in doubt to face the Raiders.
The Tigers could welcome back fullback Wade McKinnon from a hamstring injury, but it is believed Tim Moltzen has little chance of making a surprise return despite speculation to the contrary. Moltzen's recovery from a knee injury has been progressing well and strength tests indicate that the afflicted leg is almost as strong as his good one. But he has not yet trained with his teammates and is unlikely to be considered.
Marshall's injury is the one that will be dominating the lead-up to the clash at Canberra Stadium. Tigers halfback Robert Lui said the absence of the five-eighth would leave a sizeable hole in the squad.
''Benji is a big part of our game, of course,'' he said. ''Hopefully he gets himself right for next week.''
Lui almost gave the Tigers a week off, which would have allowed the players two weeks to recover. His 88th minute field goal skewed millimetres away from the left upright. ''I hit it good and I thought I got it, but it just missed to the left. Probably by only 10 inches or something,'' he said.
''It's disappointing. It was my first final in the NRL so it's a learning curve for me just coming away from that … We're still a chance.''
