Stone has Dureau half clear in contest
BY BRETT KEEBLE
KNIGHTS coach Rick Stone said Scott Dureau had his nose in front of Ben Rogers to partner primary playmaker Jarrod Mullen in the halves for Newcastle's season-opener against the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium in a fortnight.
But Stone said Rogers was very much in the race and could further his cause with a dominant performance in the second half of the Knights' final pre-season trial against Penrith at Port Macquarie tonight.
In the absence of wounded captain Kurt Gidley (knee) and suspended regular deputy Steve Simpson, Mullen will captain the Knights tonight and start at pivot.
Barring injury, Stone plans for Mullen to play the first half alongside Dureau, then Rogers will play the second at five-eighth with Dureau and Mullen as his halfback buddy for 20 minutes each.
Rogers, who has completed a three-game suspension for a striking charge incurred in the game against Canberra last August, has had several minor operations in the off-season to repair knee, ankle and foot injuries, but Stone said he was still in the mix for the Bulldogs game on March 13.
"We've got a bit more to go under the bridge, for sure," Stone said.
"It's fair to say Scotty's probably in front at this particular stage, given that 'Dodge' [Rogers] has had a fairly interrupted pre-season, but it's definitely not a foregone conclusion, that's for sure."
Stone said fullback Shannon McDonnell, who has been struggling with a hip flexor injury, trained without significant discomfort yesterday and would play.
Centre Wes Naiqama will provide back-up for McDonnell, and utility Byron Fruean will spend some time in the centres after relieving the starting dummy-half, George Ndaira.
The Knights are treading carefully with McDonnell because he has been earmarked to start the NRL season in the No.1 jersey while Gidley recovers from a torn hamstring tendon suffered in the All Stars game two weeks ago.
Stone said the absence of international centres Adam MacDougall and Junior Sau, both resting knee injuries, would give Naiqama and Keith Lulia a chance to impress.
"We think we've got four NRL-quality centres anyway, so they'll get a chance to push their barrows," he said.
Sau is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a knee injury is on track to play against the Bulldogs.
The 22-year-old strained medial ligaments in the Knights' 66-10 rout of a second-string Melbourne at St John Oval last Saturday.
Sau travelled to Port with the senior squad on Wednesday and said the injury had been responding well to physiotherapy.
"I was back running again on Thursday and it's feeling good so it should be sweet for round one in a couple of weeks," Sau said last night.
The game at Port Macquarie Regional Stadium is due to kick off at 7pm.
The Central Coast Centurions, the Knights' second-tier feeder team, will play Windsor in a NSW Cup trial at Peacock Field tomorrow at 5pm.
The Knights also play arch rivals Manly at Cessnock Sportsground in NSW Rugby League junior representative games today from 3pm.
Knights: Shannon McDonnell, Aku Uate, Keith Lulia, Wes Naiqama, Cooper Vuna, Jarrod Mullen (captain), Scott Dureau, Marvin Karawana, Cory Paterson, Chris Houston, Ben Cross, George Ndaira, Evarn Tuimavave. Bench: Kevin Naiqama, Byron Fruean, Ben Rogers, Zeb Taia, Cameron Ciraldo, Mark Taufua, Dan Tolar.
Herald
