Blows keep coming for NSW as Walker injury confirmed

1 year ago 122

The blows support coming for NSW, with 1 of the leading contenders for a spot successful the halves for Origin II injuring his quad successful training.

Cody Walker is retired of the Rabbitohs broadside to instrumentality connected the Dragons connected Saturday aft feeling a tweak during immoderate velocity enactment astatine grooming arsenic Souths finalised preparations for their circular 15 clash.

Speaking to media aft the club's captain's tally connected Friday, manager Jason Demetriou confirmed the news, joking that the origin of the debased people strain was "old man", portion remaining optimistic that Walker would beryllium disposable for enactment for Origin if called upon by Brad Fittler.

"We're moving hard and he's each accidental of being available," Demetriou said.

"It's an wounded that's truly abbreviated term, it lone happened a mates of days earlier the crippled truthful we're not successful a presumption to hazard him but Origin's not for astir 2 weeks truthful he's each accidental of being available."

Stream the NRL premiership 2023 unrecorded and escaped connected 9Now

Cody Walker of the Rabbitohs looks dejected aft losing the club's circular 13 nonaccomplishment to the Raiders. (Getty)

While Demetrious whitethorn beryllium optimistic, Walker would beryllium improbable to beryllium brought successful to play a portion successful a caller look NSW spine if he's incapable to enactment successful grooming until precocious successful the preparations for Origin II.

That whitethorn seal his fate, perchance ending the flirtation with bringing Adam Reynolds retired of the Origin wilderness to prevention the Blues astatine Suncorp Stadium.

The lawsuit for Reynolds mostly hinged connected his operation with Walker and Latrell Mitchell from their years astatine Souths unneurotic but with some of those stars connected the injured list, Fittler would beryllium taking a immense hazard by going down that path.

Demetriou said Mitchell was connected the roadworthy to betterment and could beryllium backmost moving by the extremity of the weekend, making him a much apt enactment for NSW than the recently injured Walker.

"He's successful a bully place, physios are moving overtime with him arsenic good to springiness him each accidental to beryllium disposable but he'll cognize precocious this play oregon aboriginal adjacent week whether he's bully to spell oregon not if helium tin run. It's 1 of those injuries wherever each mates of days makes a large quality erstwhile you've got a debased grade, truthful we'll accidental however helium responds," Demetriou said.

Watch the 2023 State of Origin bid LIVE and exclusive connected Channel 9 and 9Now

Latrell Mitchell smiles astatine New South Wales Blues State of Origin training. (Getty)

The manager added that "Cam Murray's the aforesaid earlier you inquire maine astir him," adding that the Rabbitohs were "creaking" arsenic a effect of being 1 of the fewer sides successful the contention that was yet to person a bye.

"We're 15 weeks in, we're 1 of the fewer teams who haven't had a bye yet and the boys are creaking a small bit," helium said.

Demetriou's squad isn't the lone 1 struggling to travel to presumption with injuries, with Fittler present facing the task of picking a Blues squad with fittingness clouds implicit definite selections Murray and Mitchell to spell with series-ending injuries to Nathan Cleary and Apisai Koroisau.

Damien Cook is the blistery favourite to beryllium called into the broadside to regenerate Koroisau, but Cleary's replacement is nary clearer with the likes of the Broncos' Reynolds, Mitchell Moses and Nicho Hynes vying for the No.7 jersey. That conflict has a caller complexion with Jarome Luai present looking a harmless stake to clasp his No.6 jersey owed to Walker's injury.

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!