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Tigers get Galloway back early as jostling starts for Test positions
Brad Walter
April 4, 2012
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KEITH GALLOWAY'S surprise return to action against Brisbane on Friday night will provide a timely boost not only for Wests Tigers but also Australia.
The Kangaroos team to play New Zealand at Eden Park on April 20 will be announced on Sunday week and Galloway is the only specialist front-rower from the team that won the Four Nations final in Leeds last November named to play this weekend.
North Queensland prop Matt Scott started the decider against England alongside Cronulla captain Paul Gallen, with Galloway and Canberra's David Shillington on the interchange bench. However, Scott is sidelined with ligament damage in his foot and Shillington has an abdominal injury.
Galloway had been expected to miss the Test against the Kiwis after suffering a foot injury in the Tigers' round one win over Cronulla but he is set to play against the Broncos at Allianz Stadium. Tigers officials said he only had to come through a final fitness test tomorrow to be cleared to play. Captain Robbie Farah also returns from a two-match suspension but the Tigers will be without England second-rower Gareth Ellis, who has surgery today on his broken foot.
''It will be good having Robbie back, especially with the direction around the ruck and the decision-making there,'' centre Chris Lawrence said. ''And if we get big Keithy back, which we'll find out at the end of the week, it'll be great for us to have a senior player up the middle helping the props.''
Lawrence also played in the Four Nations final but his position is believed to be under threat from Brisbane centre Justin Hodges, who was named in the touring squad but withdrew due to injury. South Sydney forward Dave Taylor was also ruled out of the Four Nations tour because of injury but he is now in line to replace Manly's Tony Williams (suspension), while Darius Boyd is tipped to move from fullback to the wing to cover for the loss of Jharal Yow Yeh (broken leg).
There is some doubt about the fitness of fullback Billy Slater, who missed the Four Nations final with a shoulder injury, after Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy yesterday revealed he had a foot injury. Slater has his foot in a moon boot to prevent the ''tendonitis-type issue'' developing into a stress fracture.
Storm teammate Cooper Cronk will be named at halfback, with North Queensland's Johnathan Thurston moving to five-eighth to fill the void left by Darren Lockyer. Kurt Gidley was the obvious choice to take over Cronk's bench spot but he is out for a month with a knee injury, leaving Farah or Manly's Daly Cherry-Evans as contenders for the utility role.
Newcastle's Kade Snowden and St George Illawarra's Trent Merrin played in the corresponding Test last year and would come into contention should Shillington and Scott be unavailable, along with Canberra's Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and Brisbane's Ben Hannant.
The ARL Commission's Andrew Hill said Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens and selectors would meet next week before the team announcement after the Penrith-Tigers match at CentreBet Stadium on April 15.
''The selectors are obviously aware of the players who are out injured or are suspended,'' Hill said. ''They are going through their normal processes, as in previous years, which include phone hook-ups and obviously watching all of the football, and they will get together again next week to start to really begin to finalise the make-up of the squad.''
Brad Walter
April 4, 2012
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\
KEITH GALLOWAY'S surprise return to action against Brisbane on Friday night will provide a timely boost not only for Wests Tigers but also Australia.
The Kangaroos team to play New Zealand at Eden Park on April 20 will be announced on Sunday week and Galloway is the only specialist front-rower from the team that won the Four Nations final in Leeds last November named to play this weekend.
North Queensland prop Matt Scott started the decider against England alongside Cronulla captain Paul Gallen, with Galloway and Canberra's David Shillington on the interchange bench. However, Scott is sidelined with ligament damage in his foot and Shillington has an abdominal injury.
Galloway had been expected to miss the Test against the Kiwis after suffering a foot injury in the Tigers' round one win over Cronulla but he is set to play against the Broncos at Allianz Stadium. Tigers officials said he only had to come through a final fitness test tomorrow to be cleared to play. Captain Robbie Farah also returns from a two-match suspension but the Tigers will be without England second-rower Gareth Ellis, who has surgery today on his broken foot.
''It will be good having Robbie back, especially with the direction around the ruck and the decision-making there,'' centre Chris Lawrence said. ''And if we get big Keithy back, which we'll find out at the end of the week, it'll be great for us to have a senior player up the middle helping the props.''
Lawrence also played in the Four Nations final but his position is believed to be under threat from Brisbane centre Justin Hodges, who was named in the touring squad but withdrew due to injury. South Sydney forward Dave Taylor was also ruled out of the Four Nations tour because of injury but he is now in line to replace Manly's Tony Williams (suspension), while Darius Boyd is tipped to move from fullback to the wing to cover for the loss of Jharal Yow Yeh (broken leg).
There is some doubt about the fitness of fullback Billy Slater, who missed the Four Nations final with a shoulder injury, after Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy yesterday revealed he had a foot injury. Slater has his foot in a moon boot to prevent the ''tendonitis-type issue'' developing into a stress fracture.
Storm teammate Cooper Cronk will be named at halfback, with North Queensland's Johnathan Thurston moving to five-eighth to fill the void left by Darren Lockyer. Kurt Gidley was the obvious choice to take over Cronk's bench spot but he is out for a month with a knee injury, leaving Farah or Manly's Daly Cherry-Evans as contenders for the utility role.
Newcastle's Kade Snowden and St George Illawarra's Trent Merrin played in the corresponding Test last year and would come into contention should Shillington and Scott be unavailable, along with Canberra's Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and Brisbane's Ben Hannant.
The ARL Commission's Andrew Hill said Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens and selectors would meet next week before the team announcement after the Penrith-Tigers match at CentreBet Stadium on April 15.
''The selectors are obviously aware of the players who are out injured or are suspended,'' Hill said. ''They are going through their normal processes, as in previous years, which include phone hook-ups and obviously watching all of the football, and they will get together again next week to start to really begin to finalise the make-up of the squad.''
