Danny Wicks out with torn stomach muscle
BY BRETT KEEBLE
POWERHOUSE Knights prop Danny Wicks will be sidelined for another four to six weeks after tearing an abdominal muscle at training on Wednesday.
The luckless front-rower was due to see a specialist today hoping to be cleared to resume contact training after tearing a ligament in his neck last month.
Wicks had already missed the team's pre-Christmas conditioning program due to a mystery stomach virus, then his neck injury further disrupted his pre-season preparation last month.
The usually jovial 23-year-old tried to maintain his sense of humour at the club's season launch at EnergyAustralia Stadium last night but said he was shattered at the latest setback.
"I was looking good for a clearance tomorrow on my neck, but now I'll miss four to six weeks with this," Wicks said last night. "Luckily it's only the start of the season and it's only four to six weeks, but it's very frustrating. It's hard to stay positive, but being around the boys helps keep me positive."
Wicks is likely to return for Kurri Kurri in the Newcastle Rugby League competition before being considered for a recall to the Knights' first-grade squad.
Meanwhile, coach Brian Smith expects the Knights to make a strong start to the season despite playing three straight away games against Gold Coast, Cronulla and Souths before returning home to host premiers Manly.
Speaking at the club's season launch in the Andrew Johns Stand at EAS last night, Smith said it was imperative to start well so the Knights were not chasing the rest of the pack all season.
"Our trial games have been a bit of a mixed bag, but you expect that in pre-season footy," Smith said of the team's losses to Melbourne (32-24) and Cronulla (14-10). "The Gold Coast Titans started off last year winning seven of their first nine games and for a long time were undefeated at home. But we had a little bit of joy over them last year, so it would be nice to go back and do it again.
"We're counting on coming out of the blocks next Sunday afternoon and playing a quality 80 minutes first-up.
"We're at the start of the season and we want to get that Knights flag right to the top of that mountain this year, and we don't want to be chasing everyone up that mountain if we can avoid it."
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