Injury tolls ‘irrelevant’

SYDNEY: Roosters coach Trent Robinson has hosed down talk tonight’s grand-final rematch will be ruined by each club’s heavy injury tolls, declaring both teams will field 17 players so “let’s go”.
The 2019 grand-final coaches, Robinson and Ricky Stuart, named their 21-man squads on Tuesday but as many as half of the players who featured in last year’s decider could be missing through injury, moving clubs or retiring.
Robinson remained hopeful but coy on the availability of co-captains Boyd Cordner, Jake Friend (head knocks) and veteran winger Brett Morris (groin) for the rematch.
But he was reluctant to offer any empathy towards the Raiders after their own season-ending injuries to English hooker Josh Hodgson and winger Bailey Simonsson last week.
The Green Machine were already without John Bateman, Corey Horsbugh, Sia Soliola and Emre Guler prior to their most-recent additions to the casualty ward.
“I think that’s what a squad is for, that’s why you assemble a squad, you have faith in all the players that are going to run out,” Robinson said.
“The 17 players at the Roosters are going to be ready to go.
“There are 17 players for us and them, so let’s go.”
In the past month the Roosters have lost Victor Radley and Sam Verrills for the remainder of the year to anterior cruciate ligament injuries.
Robinson used the latest five-try effort from Matt Ikuvalu to highlight the importance of having depth in a first-grade squad.
“It creates opportunity,” Robinson said.
“It’s about playing NRL but you want to produce guys who are going to create change as soon as they start playing.
“Watching Matty and Lachie (Lam) go on and do that was great to see.
“We expect more and more of that each week.”
Meanwhile, the grand-final rematch might sound like a dream for fans but it has turned into something of a nightmare for Stuart.
He has employed a siege mentality going into the blockbuster clash against the defending premiers as a short turnaround and injury crisis at the club, leaves him seething.
While Covid-19 had inflicted all manner of disruption to this year’s competition, extending travel and a devastating injury toll is wreaking havoc on the capital.
The Raiders are now without six first-team regulars for either the season or most of it, after Josh Hodgson and Bailey Simonsson’s injuries in Saturday night’s 14-20 home loss to Melbourne.
Compounding the worrying injury scenario for Canberra is the fact they now face a five-day turnaround against the Roosters, who have two extra days to prepare for the clash.
The Daily Telegraph’s Paul Kent revealed that the unfortunate situation that the Raiders find themselves in has left their coach livid.
“I spoke to him about doing something (for the Telegraph) for the grand-final rematch, and as you know I get on pretty well with Rick,” Kent said.
“He said mate stick it up your a***e, because everyone is talking about this grand-final replay and we’ve been given a five-day turnaround.
“The Roosters have got seven days.
“He said second to that, we asked if we could stay the night before in a hotel to get ready for the game given we’re on a five-day turnaround.
“The NRL said no. He said what about the AFL teams, they’re all staying in motels. Why can’t we?
“No, not allowed too. OK, well let us fly up there on the day of the game.
“No its an away game so you must get a bus up.
“The NRL won’t even let them fly on the day of the game, they have to get a bus up. Come on.
“Everybody sits there and goes this is the grand final replay, that’s how you kick it in the backside.”
– AAP