Raiders front row starts rebuilding

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greeny
Glenn Lazarus
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Raiders front row starts rebuilding

Post by greeny »

Canberra Raiders coach Matt Elliott will face more than a few headaches when he decides who to include in his decimated front row for the clash with Newcastle.

Prop Andrew Lomu failed to declare himself fully recovered from the abdominal muscle tear that saw him watch Canberra's 27-14 victory over Manly on Saturday night from the sidelines.

Lomu's possible omission will add further pressure to the Raiders struggling front row, which is almost certain to be without star prop Josh Miller for the rest of the season.

Miller ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Canberra's victory over Manly, and will be told by doctors on Tuesday if he will be out for the rest of the season.

Lomu said although it had been "pretty upsetting" to be sidelined for the start of the season, he was determined to back in action for round three's match against the Roosters.

"I'm probably a 100 per cent chance to come back next week, in round three," he told reporters.

"I'm keen to play next week an I'm physically ready to go, so it's more just about getting some strength and some stamina back."

The front-runner for the vacant position in the forward pack would appear to be Jason Williams, who despite suffering a cork in his right knee is expected to recover by the weekend.

But a lack of fitness may see the ex-Cronulla prop denied a promotion to the first-grade squad.

When Elliott was asked if the forward's lack of staying power may be a problem he replied "the short answer ... is yes."

"It's a matter of getting him completely prepared to make the contribution in first grade that he needs to make," he said.

A more reliable option may prove to be Michael Hodgson, who impressed in Canberra's reserve grade match before a minor cork forced him from the field in the first half.

Elliott seemed to rule out a promotion for impressive reserve-grader Terry Campese, whose 97kg frame is may be seen as too slight to provide the Raiders with adequate firepower in the forwards.

"I thought Terry played really well in Premier League, but we're probably looking for a bit of front-row cover with Josh (Miller) not being there," Elliott added.

"There's a few people sticking their hands up, and we're going to have to make some tough decisions as the week goes on".

http://www.nrl.com.au/News/ClubNews/Clu ... fault.aspx
Green and mean, we are the mighty Canberra Raiders.
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