Hindmarsh reluctant to risk rushing in for the opening Test
By Greg Prichard
October 3, 2005
Nathan Hindmarsh is no guarantee of being fit to play for Australia in the opening match of the Tri-Nations tournament against New Zealand at Telstra Stadium on October 15.
Hindmarsh said yesterday he had not ruled himself out of the opening game yet, but said he was more confident of being ready to resume playing in the second game of the series - also against the Kiwis, at Ericsson Stadium on October 21.
The Parramatta second-rower is a certain selection in the 23-man Australian squad to be named today for the series against New Zealand and Great Britain. He has not played since tearing the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the last round of the regular season, against Brisbane on September 2, and medical advice on the injury was that there would be a recovery period of three to six weeks.
Hindmarsh said that had the Eels qualified for last night's grand final he believed he would have found a way to get out there and play effectively, but now that he had more time to heal properly he wanted to make sure he was 100 per cent fit before he played again.
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"It's a tough series, the Tri-Nations, so I don't want to go out and play in the first game if it's going to put me at any risk for the rest of the series," he said. "I've still got a bit of work to do on the knee. I'm hopeful that I'll be available for the first Test, but I'm not sure about that one. It looks much more likely for the second game, but the squad has got a training session on Tuesday so I'll see what the coach and the doctor think."
Hindmarsh said that because the Eels were knocked out of the finals by North Queensland last Sunday he did not do any running in the week since and had been concentrating on physiotherapy and resistance work in the pool.
"I'm still a bit down in the dumps about us getting knocked out, but once I get back out there and start playing again I'm sure I'll start to feel better," he said.
The Tri-Nations will move to England after Australia's two games against the Kiwis, with the Aussies to play two games against Great Britain and probably the final against either the Poms or the Kiwis.
Australian hooker Danny Buderus reckons Andrew Johns, who is certain to be halfback, may make the international opposition pay for his recent disappointment in the Super League club competition in England.
Johns went to England for a guest stint with Warrington in an attempt to achieve one of his remaining ambitions and win an English grand final, but Warrington were eliminated in the first week of the finals last weekend after winning the first two games of Johns's stint.
"I know from playing with Joey for the Knights and in the rep games that when he has a setback like that it just makes him even more determined to do well," Buderus said yesterday. "He was very excited about going over to play for Warrington and it started so well for him, but it didn't work out in the end and when he goes back with the Australian team he'll be so pumped up to do well that Great Britain and New Zealand will find it very hard to stop him from having a big influence.
"Joey hasn't played for Australia for two years because of injuries and I know there are a lot of guys in the squad who are really excited about playing alongside him again. He'll revel in playing for Australia again and the other guys will revel in playing with him."
Buderus was hindered by a foot injury throughout last year's Tri-Nations series and needed an operation at the end of it, but after a break since the Knights failed to make the finals he says he is feeling as good as ever.
