Super Cronk
29-03-06, 11:51 AM
Here is an article from the heraldsun, but i only want to point out the part in bold.
MELBOURNE Storm coach Craig Bellamy last night admitted surprise his team would have to counter Wests Tigers' Benji Marshall on Sunday just three weeks after he was sidelined with a fractured cheekbone.
After upsetting the Dragons in Round 1, the Marshall-less Tigers have since been beaten by the Bulldogs and Warriors.
Marshall had been expected to miss six weeks.
"It is hard with those sort of injuries, when you have to commit to putting your head into a tackle, whether there might be a few doubts there," Bellamy said.
"But they wouldn't name him if he wasn't right. I'm sure they do all the tests. If he's named, then no doubt he's ready."
Wests coach Tim Sheens yesterday dismissed any suggestion Marshall had been rushed back, or that recent losses indicated the Tigers were a one-man team.
"He is an important part of the team, I'm not silly enough to say that's not true, but to say we're a one-man team is ridiculous," Sheens said.
"Benji was available for selection. "The X-ray has shown (he is) clear, it's just the intensity of training now to determine if the cracks in the sinuses are sealed. If, during intense training, he doesn't get any bleeding and swelling of the face, he'll play."
The Tigers have struggled without their key playmaker and grand final hero, winning just six of 21 matches.
"He obviously makes a huge difference to them," Bellamy said. "It was hard to believe they were the same team the past two weeks, the way they played with him in Round 1."
Storm expects centre Matt King back from an ear infection. His return is countered by the loss of prop Anthony Kaufusi and winger Jake Webster.
Scans have confirmed Webster has a hamstring tear and will be sidelined for at least three weeks, while Kaufusi was suspended for two.
Kaufusi had faced up to three weeks on the sidelines on a reckless high tackle charge but, after shrewd manoeuvring by team management, he will serve just one.
Storm yesterday entered an early guilty plea on the charge, but not before the prop had been dropped to Queensland Cup feeder side Norths Devils.
The move will bar Kaufusi from the next two Queensland Cup rounds, instead of the NRL, meaning Storm's Round 5 bye will count as part of the ban.
Sneaky ;)
MELBOURNE Storm coach Craig Bellamy last night admitted surprise his team would have to counter Wests Tigers' Benji Marshall on Sunday just three weeks after he was sidelined with a fractured cheekbone.
After upsetting the Dragons in Round 1, the Marshall-less Tigers have since been beaten by the Bulldogs and Warriors.
Marshall had been expected to miss six weeks.
"It is hard with those sort of injuries, when you have to commit to putting your head into a tackle, whether there might be a few doubts there," Bellamy said.
"But they wouldn't name him if he wasn't right. I'm sure they do all the tests. If he's named, then no doubt he's ready."
Wests coach Tim Sheens yesterday dismissed any suggestion Marshall had been rushed back, or that recent losses indicated the Tigers were a one-man team.
"He is an important part of the team, I'm not silly enough to say that's not true, but to say we're a one-man team is ridiculous," Sheens said.
"Benji was available for selection. "The X-ray has shown (he is) clear, it's just the intensity of training now to determine if the cracks in the sinuses are sealed. If, during intense training, he doesn't get any bleeding and swelling of the face, he'll play."
The Tigers have struggled without their key playmaker and grand final hero, winning just six of 21 matches.
"He obviously makes a huge difference to them," Bellamy said. "It was hard to believe they were the same team the past two weeks, the way they played with him in Round 1."
Storm expects centre Matt King back from an ear infection. His return is countered by the loss of prop Anthony Kaufusi and winger Jake Webster.
Scans have confirmed Webster has a hamstring tear and will be sidelined for at least three weeks, while Kaufusi was suspended for two.
Kaufusi had faced up to three weeks on the sidelines on a reckless high tackle charge but, after shrewd manoeuvring by team management, he will serve just one.
Storm yesterday entered an early guilty plea on the charge, but not before the prop had been dropped to Queensland Cup feeder side Norths Devils.
The move will bar Kaufusi from the next two Queensland Cup rounds, instead of the NRL, meaning Storm's Round 5 bye will count as part of the ban.
Sneaky ;)