Hodges sweats on shoulder scan results - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Hodges sweats on shoulder scan results

By Laine Clark 13/10/2008 05:31:43 PM Comments (0)

The guessing game over Justin Hodges' World Cup availability will end on Tuesday, according to ARL doctor Hugh Hazard.

While Hazard again talked up Hodges' fitness, Broncos boss Bruno Cullen has still not ruled out a shoulder reconstruction for the Broncos centre.

But the Hodges mystery is set to be solved when the gamebreaker visits a surgeon and discusses scan results.

"He's had his scan, he's being reviewed by a surgeon tomorrow," Hazard told AAP.

"At this stage he is in. There's no suggestion that he was out.

"It's just a follow-up because he's had an injury for a long time.

"I make no prediction but at this stage both he and the club are confident that he will be fine.

"He has been playing with it for Brisbane. Hopefully he can play with it at the World Cup as well."

Broncos boss Bruno Cullen says the NRL club will allow Hodges to play with a niggling shoulder injury at the World Cup.

But Cullen said the Broncos centre would not be allowed to put off major surgery to realise his World Cup dream.

"We want all of our players to play rep football, that's why you play," he told AAP.

"We are happy for him to go into these sorts of tournaments with niggling injuries.

"But if it is the worst case scenario and Justin needs a reconstruction then we want that to happen straight away.

"That's six months (recovery). To put off a reconstruction until after the World Cup would mean June or July (return) next year which is half the season (gone).

"With all due respect to all the World Cup organisers and Justin, we are paying substantial amounts of money for his services and we want him to play for us.

"But we won't be making a decision to pull him out until we know exactly what is required and what the professional advice is."

Hodges played only 14 games for Brisbane in a 2008 season disrupted by suspension and injury.

Queensland-based Australian players are not required to go into camp in Sydney until Friday.

Surprisingly only two - Hodges, if fit, and skipper Darren Lockyer - will arrive from Brisbane.

Cullen said he was still surprised forward Sam Thaiday and fullback Karmichael Hunt missed the 24-strong Australian squad.

Thaiday, Hunt and Broncos teammate Darius Boyd were interviewed by Queensland detectives over an alleged sexual assault days before Brisbane's knockout NRL finals loss to Melbourne.

"I probably thought Justin, Darren, K (Hunt) and Sammy were there or thereabouts for the World Cup squad but they weren't and we will just get on with it," he said.

Thaiday scooped the pool at the weekend Broncos presentation night, claiming player of the year, players' player and best forward awards.

Cullen said it was "business as usual" at the Broncos, barely 48 hours after officially farewelling foundation coach Wayne Bennett at the awards night.

Cullen described Bennett as a "real icon of the game" but said the club was wasting no time preparing for 2009.

New head coach and Bennett's former assistant Ivan Henjak has already held a three-day seminar on the Gold Coast with his 2009 staff.

Brought to you by AAP AAP © 2024 AAP

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