It looks doubtful...
Wiki a slight hope
September 11, 2004
CANBERRA forward Ruben Wiki hasn't given up hope of miraculously playing in tomorrow's qualifying final against the Sydney Roosters - and he's slowly making a believer of coach Matthew Elliott.
Wiki, who suffered an ankle injury against South Sydney last weekend, was initially expected to miss a minimum of three weeks.
However, his improvement has been rapid and Wiki attempted to run yesterday at Canberra's training headquarters for the first time after suffering the injury.
The New Zealand international wasn't able to stretch out - Elliott quipped he could have beaten Wiki - but for the first time the Canberra coach conceded the second-rower could play at Aussie Stadium.
"There's a slight hope," Elliott said. "I admire him for having a shot. But you never know. Who knows what happens overnight with a bit of kava and ice?
"I wouldn't rule him out completely."
Wiki, who will join the New Zealand Warriors next season, has had intensive physiotherapy on the ankle and received a cortisone injection yesterday morning.
"We'll see what happens," Wiki said. "I have a couple of days to go. We'll see how it goes."
Asked whether he was still keen to play, Wiki replied: "Who wouldn't be?
"It's coming on OK."
Elliott is expected to give Wiki until as late
as possible to prove his fitness, with the Raiders already minus suspended captain Simon Woolford. "It would be a nice dream," Elliott said.
"We had him in and he had a hobble. I could beat him today.
"It's not a matter of getting well. It's a matter of being able to control [the injury]. Even Ruben was shaking his head after the run today."
Meanwhile, the NRL has effectively ruled out transferring a game to Suncorp Stadium should Brisbane and North Queensland be drawn to play in the second week of the finals.
The Cowboys and Broncos would meet at Aussie Stadium on Saturday week if North Queensland produced a stunning upset over the Bulldogs and the Broncos lost to Melbourne.
The Daily Telegraph
But remember who we are talking about here- RUBEN WIKI. Just making an appearnace at training would have given the rest of the team a big boost...
