Newcastle backrower Steve Simpson will undergo a week of intense treatment on his injured shoulder in a desperate bid to be in the Knights line-up for week two of the NRL finals series.
The Knights confirmed their advancement into the latter stages of the playoffs after recovering from 12-0 down at halftime to post a thrilling 25-18 win over Manly at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Friday night.
The nature of the win was all the more meritorious considering they played much of the game with only 15 fit men after David Seage and Simpson both picked up first-half injuries.
Seage's season is definitely over after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, two years after doing the same to his left knee, while Simpson will be racing the clock to play next weekend after picking up knock to his AC joint.
"It's pretty sore today. I got an x-ray this morning which cleared me of any sort of fracture which is good," said Simpson, who led the Knights out on Friday night following Andrew Johns' self-imposed demotion from on-field captaincy duties.
"It'll just depend how it settles down over the next couple of days."
Simpson left the field clutching his left shoulder before bravely returning to the field later in the game with the aid of several painkilling injections.
"I had a few shots when I came off and then a few more at halftime, it sort of wasn't much chop," he said.
"We'll just see what's the best thing to do by the side (next weekend), there's not much point going in half fit. I'll just play it by ear and see how it settles."
Knights club doctor Peter McGeoch said Simpson would be in doubt right up until the weekend.
"The x-ray didn't look too bad but I guess he'll be is in significant doubt for the weekend," McGeoch said.
"We'll just see how he progresses with fairly intensive treatment this week."
Another player who may be missing next weekend and for the remainder of the playoffs is Danny Buderus, the Test hooker likely to be charge by the match review committee following his spear tackle on Manly winger Michael Robertson in the dying moments of the match.
Referee Sean Hampstead considered sending Buderus off for the ugly tackle before being talked out of it by video referee Bill Harrigan.
He instead sent Manly skipper Ben Kennedy to the sin bin for the remainder of the match for coming to the aid of his teammate, much to the annoyance of coach Des Hasler.
Newcastle coach Michael Hagan remained hopeful after the match that his star rake would still play some part in the finals series.
"It all happened pretty quickly, that's something that because of the speed of the game and that time of the game I guess," Hagan said.
Asked whether the dangerous throw warranted a send off, Hagan said: "I don't think it was at that level at all. It certainly looked spectacular."
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The Knights confirmed their advancement into the latter stages of the playoffs after recovering from 12-0 down at halftime to post a thrilling 25-18 win over Manly at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Friday night.
The nature of the win was all the more meritorious considering they played much of the game with only 15 fit men after David Seage and Simpson both picked up first-half injuries.
Seage's season is definitely over after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, two years after doing the same to his left knee, while Simpson will be racing the clock to play next weekend after picking up knock to his AC joint.
"It's pretty sore today. I got an x-ray this morning which cleared me of any sort of fracture which is good," said Simpson, who led the Knights out on Friday night following Andrew Johns' self-imposed demotion from on-field captaincy duties.
"It'll just depend how it settles down over the next couple of days."
Simpson left the field clutching his left shoulder before bravely returning to the field later in the game with the aid of several painkilling injections.
"I had a few shots when I came off and then a few more at halftime, it sort of wasn't much chop," he said.
"We'll just see what's the best thing to do by the side (next weekend), there's not much point going in half fit. I'll just play it by ear and see how it settles."
Knights club doctor Peter McGeoch said Simpson would be in doubt right up until the weekend.
"The x-ray didn't look too bad but I guess he'll be is in significant doubt for the weekend," McGeoch said.
"We'll just see how he progresses with fairly intensive treatment this week."
Another player who may be missing next weekend and for the remainder of the playoffs is Danny Buderus, the Test hooker likely to be charge by the match review committee following his spear tackle on Manly winger Michael Robertson in the dying moments of the match.
Referee Sean Hampstead considered sending Buderus off for the ugly tackle before being talked out of it by video referee Bill Harrigan.
He instead sent Manly skipper Ben Kennedy to the sin bin for the remainder of the match for coming to the aid of his teammate, much to the annoyance of coach Des Hasler.
Newcastle coach Michael Hagan remained hopeful after the match that his star rake would still play some part in the finals series.
"It all happened pretty quickly, that's something that because of the speed of the game and that time of the game I guess," Hagan said.
Asked whether the dangerous throw warranted a send off, Hagan said: "I don't think it was at that level at all. It certainly looked spectacular."
www.smh.com.au/sport
