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Curtis Sironen set to come into Wests Tigers side in place of Benji Marshall for match against Dragons
Paul Crawley
The Daily Telegraph
April 12, 2013
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THE last thing Paul Sironen wants is to put any added pressure on his young bloke Curtis ahead of his likely NRL return for the Tigers this Sunday.
The 19-year-old is now the favourite to take over from the injured Benji Marshall when they take on the Dragons at the SCG after Sironen trained in the five-eighth position yesterday.
If he does get the call up, it will be his first NRL game since last July when he suffered his second serious shoulder injury.
And as his proud father explained yesterday, the road back to the NRL hasn't been easy.
"Oh mate, you can't imagine the amount of work he has put in to get back," Paul said.
"It can be a cruel game sometimes, I will tell you. The highs are high and the lows are really low. If he gets his opportunity on Sunday I just hope he gets through OK."
After just three games back in under 20s coach Mick Potter looks likely to bring the gifted teenager in for the crucial clash.
Potter was adamant yesterday he hadn't settled on a replacement for Marshall and won't decide until Saturday but Curtis looked more than comfortable filling in at training.
The other options for Potter are moving Liam Fulton from the back-row to the halves, or switching Tim Molten from fullback. While Sironen has limited NRL experience the ease in which he handled the step up last year before his injury was proof it is only a matter of time before he finds a permanent place in the Tigers top squad.
Paul said he'll never forget the moment Curtis went down in the game against the Cowboys last year clutching his shoulder.
"I knew straight away he was in trouble,' Paul recalled.
It kept him sidelined for the remainder of the 2012 season but if he gets the call this week his proud father says it will be just reward for all the hard work.
"It is a big step up for him but he has been there before so I think he knows what to expect this time," Paul said. "It's been nine, ten months since he played NRL. All I hope for is he gets through until the end of the season.
"I know he has worked really hard, as do all blokes who come back from adversity."
Paul Crawley
The Daily Telegraph
April 12, 2013
\
\
THE last thing Paul Sironen wants is to put any added pressure on his young bloke Curtis ahead of his likely NRL return for the Tigers this Sunday.
The 19-year-old is now the favourite to take over from the injured Benji Marshall when they take on the Dragons at the SCG after Sironen trained in the five-eighth position yesterday.
If he does get the call up, it will be his first NRL game since last July when he suffered his second serious shoulder injury.
And as his proud father explained yesterday, the road back to the NRL hasn't been easy.
"Oh mate, you can't imagine the amount of work he has put in to get back," Paul said.
"It can be a cruel game sometimes, I will tell you. The highs are high and the lows are really low. If he gets his opportunity on Sunday I just hope he gets through OK."
After just three games back in under 20s coach Mick Potter looks likely to bring the gifted teenager in for the crucial clash.
Potter was adamant yesterday he hadn't settled on a replacement for Marshall and won't decide until Saturday but Curtis looked more than comfortable filling in at training.
The other options for Potter are moving Liam Fulton from the back-row to the halves, or switching Tim Molten from fullback. While Sironen has limited NRL experience the ease in which he handled the step up last year before his injury was proof it is only a matter of time before he finds a permanent place in the Tigers top squad.
Paul said he'll never forget the moment Curtis went down in the game against the Cowboys last year clutching his shoulder.
"I knew straight away he was in trouble,' Paul recalled.
It kept him sidelined for the remainder of the 2012 season but if he gets the call this week his proud father says it will be just reward for all the hard work.
"It is a big step up for him but he has been there before so I think he knows what to expect this time," Paul said. "It's been nine, ten months since he played NRL. All I hope for is he gets through until the end of the season.
"I know he has worked really hard, as do all blokes who come back from adversity."
