Utai's 2005 season in doubt as injured Kiwis return for surgery
By Brad Walter
October 18, 2004
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Bulldogs winger Matt Utai may miss the 2005 season due to the chronic ankle injury that forced him out of the New Zealand side for the remainder of the Tri-Nations tournament.
Utai, who returned home to Sydney yesterday with frustrated Penrith second-rowers Tony Puletua and Joe Galuvao for surgery while the remainder of the Kiwis squad departed Auckland for England, revealed the extent of the injury after Saturday's 16-all draw with Australia at North Harbour Stadium. The stockily built 23-year-old has been restricted at training for most of this year and faces ongoing problems for the remainder of his career.
"I could be out for about 12 months," Utai said. "The bone is grinding on to the other bones. It is leaving a hole in my ankle."
Bulldogs medical officer Hugh Hazard, who is also the Kangaroos doctor, said yesterday that a year's recovery was the worst-case scenario, while coach Steve Folkes told Auckland's Sunday News the club was hoping Utai would recover in six months. "It's an ongoing thing for him," Folkes said. "We just manage the injury the best we can. Our doctor reckons that is pretty much what it is going to be like for the rest of his career."
Kiwis coach Daniel Anderson said that Utai, Puletua and Galuvao had all addressed their teammates before the Test, while captain Ruben Wiki also made an emotional pre-game speech.
All Blacks legend Colin Meads visited the New Zealand dressing room after the match to congratulate the players on their performance. "All week there was a lot of confidence in the team," said the Bulldogs' Sonny Bill Williams, whose status as the game's next big thing was further enhanced by his starring performance before an adoring home crowd that cheered every time he made a tackle or had a run.
"When we come together we just click like we've known each other all our lives and I guess that's just the way it is with the Kiwis."
Puletua said the atmosphere in the team camp and at North Harbour Stadium made it even harder for him to have to leave the Kiwis after the row last week between Penrith and the New Zealand Rugby League over his availability.
"I didn't think it was going to blow up that big, it was a miscommunication from both sides," Puletua said.
"Penrith didn't tell me until late that I wasn't going on tour and the New Zealand Rugby League didn't know. I just tried to stay focused and leave it to both sides to sort out."
Meanwhile, NZRL general manager Peter Cordtz said Australia's complaints about the playing field at North Harbour Stadium being doctored by the Kiwis after measuring it at just 61 metres wide was based on a presumption that NRL rules should apply in international football.
"Did we modify the dimensions to suit the style of game we want to play? Yes, we did," said Cordtz, adding that international regulations state a maximum width of 68m for grounds used in Tests with in-goals to be 8-11m deep. The regulations for NRL matches are a standard width of 68m and an in-goal of 8m.
I haven't read any news articles on the Internet about it though.
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