Dragons 2019: Norman's mind clear ahead of injury return
Dragons Den
DRAGONS half Corey Norman says he won't be carrying any scars - physical or mental - when he returns from a fractured cheekbone against Canterbury next week.
A famously chilled character, Norman isn't even sure exactly what the surgeon did to repair the fracture suffered against former club Parramatta in round eight.
Such injuries can often play on the mind, but Norman says his biggest mental challenge has been boredom.
"I don't think about those kind of things," Norman said.
"The first couple of weeks were just pretty boring to be honest. You obviously can't do much so I was just doing some body weights and light running and that was about it so the days do drag on.
"It wasn't a screw or a plate or anything like that, they just went in through the temple and then popped it out and I think it just mends itself.
"I don't really know so I might be making it up but they just said they popped it out and that was it.
"It's feeling good, I'm back into contact and it hasn't come into my mind so I'm clearly past the injury and ready to play some footy."
It proved a turning point of sorts for the Dragons, who haven't won a match since without their star No. 6, dropping five straight games to slump to 13th on the ladder.
James Graham and Tim Lafai are also facing extended stints on the sideline, compounding what's been a virtual injury crisis through the first half of the season.
Admittedly, Norman hasn't kept to close an eye on his side's performances while he's been out of action, but he's confident they can reboot out of the bye weekend.
"I'm not a good watcher," he said.
"I'll do a fair bit of video this week looking at our past games and stuff like that but when you're out, you're out, you don't want to be thinking too much about football.
"I'm back this week and that's where I'll jump back into it. I'm just going to go about my week like a normal week but obviously I want to lead from the front and get the job done.
"[We have] a bit of an injury toll but that's football, we've just got to deal with it and move on. We're still playing some good footy.
"We've been in all the games, we've just clocked off for 15-20 minutes defensively and it's really cost us. If we just come with a defensive mentality, we've still got plenty footy in us."
The Dragons turned on their best performance of the season the last time they met the Bulldogs, running in seven tries in a 40-4 win, but Norman says his side need to push that result out their mind.
"It definitely won't be like last time, I think we've got to go into the game knowing that," Norman said.
"That was six weeks ago, they're a different side, they're a real effort side and we're definitely need to come with the same effort, if not more to get over the line.
"We haven't obviously been getting the results that we wanted the last few weeks but we had the bye this week and everyone's really freshened up and it itching to get back on the field."
https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/6196495/normans-mind-clear-ahead-of-injury-return/?cs=3713
