Gidley rested to recharge batteries
BY ROBERT DILLON
NEWCASTLE Knights linchpin Kurt Gidley has been given the week off training in a bid to freshen up mentally and physically for the crucial run into the NRL play-offs.
Gidley has copped a battering in the past two games and Knights coach Brian Smith, in consultation with rehabilitation co-ordinator Adrian Brough, offered the Kangaroos utility a chance to take a break and recharge his batteries.
The 25-year-old has played in 15 of Newcastle's 19 games this season, as well as a Test match and two games in the State of Origin series.
His only respite, if it can be called that, was while he was recovering from a broken cheekbone.
Gidley was knocked out by a high shot from Parramatta's Weller Hauraki on Monday night and also finished the match with a corked thigh.
The previous week, against South Sydney, he played despite the inconvenience of back spasms.
The last thing the Knights need is their No.1 game-breaker suffering from burnout at such a crucial stage of the season, so he was excused from training sessions on Wednesday and yesterday and will not return until tomorrow morning.
"I've been involved in most of the training sessions all year, and also Origin, so they just thought a few days off would help give me a bit of a freshen-up," Gidley said yesterday.
"I've just been taking it easy. I've still got to get physio on my thigh, but other than that I've just been hanging around."
Injury problems, rather than any confidence crisis, have been the reason that Gidley has handed over the goalkicking duties midway through Newcastle's wins against the Rabbitohs and Eels.
Tightness in his lower back restricted him against Souths, and he landed only one goal from four attempts, eventually handing the job to halfback Scott Dureau.
On Monday night, he had kicked two from four when he was left dazed by Hauraki's dubious hit.
"After I got knocked out, I thought there was no point having another crack at it," he said.
"I thought I may as well let one of the other boys do it.
"I was still a bit concussed and that doesn't help your goalkicking at all.
"Your focus obviously isn't 100 per cent when you cop a knock like that."
Gidley, who has kicked 40 goals from 59 attempts this season at 67.8 per cent, was confident there would be no need to share the kicking duties in Monday night's crucial clash with Gold Coast at Skilled Park.
"I enjoy the goalkicking and I'll be getting back in and doing a bit of practice this week, once I'm over this cork," he said.
Meanwhile, Knights stategic development officer Keith Onslow has kicked off contract negotiations with in-form interchange forward Mark Taufua.
Taufua, a free agent at season's end, has played four successive games in first grade and given Newcastle extra sting off the bench.
The former Newcastle rugby union back-rower, who scored his maiden NRL try against the Eels, is also understood to have attracted attention from union clubs overseas.
Onslow said Taufua's management had given the Knights a ballpark figure that the club was considering.
Two of Newcastle's other off-contract forwards, Matt White and Jesse Royal, might not yet be lost to the Knights.
Knights officials announced recently that they would not be retaining White and Royal, who are both trying to find new clubs.
But it is understood that if either of them were unable to secure a contract elsewhere, the Knights would be interested in signing them, albeit at reduced rates.
Whether White or Royal would consider taking a pay cut is another matter altogether.
White is at least in the shop window, having spent the past four games playing strongly in the top grade.
His opportunity has ironically come at the expense of Royal, who has spent the past month on the sidelines with a knee injury.
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