[font=Verdana,Arial]Frawley to miss Brisbane clash[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial] By Peter Fitzgerald Rugby League [/font]
[font=Verdana, arial]Friday, 10 June 2005[/font]
[font=verdana,arial] The Raiders are likely to be without winger Craig Frawley for tomorrow night's round 14 NRL clash against the Broncos at Canberra Stadium.
Frawley sprained his right ankle during Canberra's loss to the Roosters in Gosford a fortnight ago and has failed to participate in training sessions since.
He went for a run yesterday on the Raiders' training-free day and said his ankle "felt OK". He will have one final chance this morning to prove his fitness to coach Matt Elliott but is expected to be ruled out.
In his absence, utility Matt Gafa will start on the wing and former Kiwi international Andrew Lomu will make his senior debut for the club, coming off the bench.
Frawley's latest injury is another in a long list this season for the former Bronco. The 24-year-old injured his calf in Canberra's round four match against the Dragons, and has since had surgery on his right knee after tearing cartilage during a training mishap a fortnight later.
He made his long-awaited return against the Roosters but suffered the ankle injury while defending in the 20th minute.
He remained on the field for the remainder of the match but was in constant pain and failed to make any impact.
"I really want to play [tomorrow] because I haven't played that much but I'm going to just have to wait and see how it feels," Frawley said last night.
"At this stage I'd say I'm ruled out unless I tell Matt [Elliott] I can play but we're halfway through the season now so I really have to get myself right."
Frawley has been restricted to the gymnasium since suffering the injury but is hopeful of a return when the Raiders travel to the Sydney Showground to take on the Bulldogs next weekend.
"It's never ending," he said of his unfortunate sideline stint of 2005.
"I couldn't believe it when I did it. I thought 'Oh no, what now?'."
Frawley's expected withdrawal has paved the way for Lomu to make his debut for the club. Lomu only arrived in Canberra last Thursday, after being released from the Cronulla Sharks and signed by the Raiders, and is still living in a motel while looking for a permanent base.
The former Sydney Roosters premiership- winning player has only played three senior games for the Sharks this year. He played for the Raiders' Premier League side that beat the Tigers last weekend, but never expected to be playing first grade so soon.
"Everything's happened so fast," Lomu said yesterday. "I just really want to repay the belief the club's put in me by signing me up and putting me in the team."
Lomu will rotate with fellow front-rowers Troy Thompson, Michael Hodgson and Josh Miller as they attempt to outmuscle the Shane Webcke-led Brisbane forward pack.
Lomu - who has played one Test for New Zealand - has played against Webcke at both club level and Test level.
He is confident the Raiders' forwards can win the battle up front and lay the platform for the halves to dominate.
"You've got a good mix up front. There's the workhorses like Josh Miller and Alan Tongue and then you've got the senior players who bring a lot of experience to the side. I think every side needs that right mix of youth and experience and I'm really happy with the way our pack is shaping for this weekend."
Meanwhile, the Broncos have bunkered themselves in camp for an extra 24 hours as they attempt to forge an impenetrable bond ahead of Saturday's clash.
The Broncos organised an extra night in Canberra to help adjust to the wholesale changes forced upon them by the unavailability of six Queensland players on State of Origin duty. Brisbane usually travels the day before an away game but over the past couple of seasons has arrived in Canberra earlier to help players adjust to the cooler conditions.
The squad will also use the additional night together as a way of forging closer ties with Broncos coach Wayne Bennett, who has six teenagers in his side.
Eighteen-year-olds Karmichael Hunt, Leon Bott and Steven Michaels will be joined by 19-year-olds Berrick Barnes, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and Sam Thaiday in a relatively experienced Brisbane side.
Bennett has included only one debutant in his side with Michaels named on the wing just a fortnight after starring for the Queensland under-19s.
Michaels, an Australian schoolboy representative last year, scored two tries for the Maroons in the lead-up game to Origin I.
Barnes was equally impressive and has been in scintillating form for feeder club Toowoomba in the Queensland Cup.
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[font=Verdana,Arial] By Peter Fitzgerald Rugby League [/font]
[font=Verdana, arial]Friday, 10 June 2005[/font]
[font=verdana,arial] The Raiders are likely to be without winger Craig Frawley for tomorrow night's round 14 NRL clash against the Broncos at Canberra Stadium.
Frawley sprained his right ankle during Canberra's loss to the Roosters in Gosford a fortnight ago and has failed to participate in training sessions since.
He went for a run yesterday on the Raiders' training-free day and said his ankle "felt OK". He will have one final chance this morning to prove his fitness to coach Matt Elliott but is expected to be ruled out.
In his absence, utility Matt Gafa will start on the wing and former Kiwi international Andrew Lomu will make his senior debut for the club, coming off the bench.
Frawley's latest injury is another in a long list this season for the former Bronco. The 24-year-old injured his calf in Canberra's round four match against the Dragons, and has since had surgery on his right knee after tearing cartilage during a training mishap a fortnight later.
He made his long-awaited return against the Roosters but suffered the ankle injury while defending in the 20th minute.
He remained on the field for the remainder of the match but was in constant pain and failed to make any impact.
"I really want to play [tomorrow] because I haven't played that much but I'm going to just have to wait and see how it feels," Frawley said last night.
"At this stage I'd say I'm ruled out unless I tell Matt [Elliott] I can play but we're halfway through the season now so I really have to get myself right."
Frawley has been restricted to the gymnasium since suffering the injury but is hopeful of a return when the Raiders travel to the Sydney Showground to take on the Bulldogs next weekend.
"It's never ending," he said of his unfortunate sideline stint of 2005.
"I couldn't believe it when I did it. I thought 'Oh no, what now?'."
Frawley's expected withdrawal has paved the way for Lomu to make his debut for the club. Lomu only arrived in Canberra last Thursday, after being released from the Cronulla Sharks and signed by the Raiders, and is still living in a motel while looking for a permanent base.
The former Sydney Roosters premiership- winning player has only played three senior games for the Sharks this year. He played for the Raiders' Premier League side that beat the Tigers last weekend, but never expected to be playing first grade so soon.
"Everything's happened so fast," Lomu said yesterday. "I just really want to repay the belief the club's put in me by signing me up and putting me in the team."
Lomu will rotate with fellow front-rowers Troy Thompson, Michael Hodgson and Josh Miller as they attempt to outmuscle the Shane Webcke-led Brisbane forward pack.
Lomu - who has played one Test for New Zealand - has played against Webcke at both club level and Test level.
He is confident the Raiders' forwards can win the battle up front and lay the platform for the halves to dominate.
"You've got a good mix up front. There's the workhorses like Josh Miller and Alan Tongue and then you've got the senior players who bring a lot of experience to the side. I think every side needs that right mix of youth and experience and I'm really happy with the way our pack is shaping for this weekend."
Meanwhile, the Broncos have bunkered themselves in camp for an extra 24 hours as they attempt to forge an impenetrable bond ahead of Saturday's clash.
The Broncos organised an extra night in Canberra to help adjust to the wholesale changes forced upon them by the unavailability of six Queensland players on State of Origin duty. Brisbane usually travels the day before an away game but over the past couple of seasons has arrived in Canberra earlier to help players adjust to the cooler conditions.
The squad will also use the additional night together as a way of forging closer ties with Broncos coach Wayne Bennett, who has six teenagers in his side.
Eighteen-year-olds Karmichael Hunt, Leon Bott and Steven Michaels will be joined by 19-year-olds Berrick Barnes, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and Sam Thaiday in a relatively experienced Brisbane side.
Bennett has included only one debutant in his side with Michaels named on the wing just a fortnight after starring for the Queensland under-19s.
Michaels, an Australian schoolboy representative last year, scored two tries for the Maroons in the lead-up game to Origin I.
Barnes was equally impressive and has been in scintillating form for feeder club Toowoomba in the Queensland Cup.
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