Creagh returns for Blues - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Creagh returns for Blues

By Adrian Warren and David Beniuk 11/07/2009 08:11:44 PM Comments (0)

NSW State of Origin second-rower Ben Creagh has resumed training with the Blues after sitting out Friday's session with an ankle problem.

The St George-Illawarra forward participated in an opposed session against The Entrance Tigers on the NSW Central Coast on Saturday.

"He did the whole session, tackling and everything," a Blues spokesperson said.

The only player who didn't take part was skipper and fullback Kurt Gidley, who is recovering from a rib problem.

"Gids is still resting, but that was always the plan," the Blues official said.

"Apart from that everyone else trained and got through the whole session."

Training lasted for around 90 minutes with the opposed session taking up the bulk of the time.

Staring down the barrel of a first series whitewash since 1995, NSW have endured another disrupted preparation for game three as they try to bed down their combinations after eight changes were made to the team which lost in Sydney two-and-a-half weeks ago.

They include a third halves pairing in Brett Kimmorley and Trent Barrett and a new hooker in Michael Ennis.

Bulldogs custodian Luke Patten remains on standby for the Newcastle skipper.

The Blues head to Brisbane on Sunday bracing themselves for a hostile reception from a Suncorp Stadium crowd ready to bask in the glow of a record-breaking fourth straight series win.

"It's pretty mind-blowing and it's going to be a bit scary," returning centre Michael Jennings admitted on Saturday.

But Jennings, who will mark Maroons ace Greg Inglis, believes NSW's brightest period of an otherwise dark series - their second-half revival in game one in Melbourne - can provide the blueprint for an improvement.

The Blues almost threatened an upset in that match as the big Queensland forwards tired and interchange hooker Craig Wing began finding holes up the middle.

Asked where NSW believe they can threaten the Maroons, Jennings said: "I'd say up the middle, tire their front rowers and (forwards) out and do the basic stuff up the middle and just punch out sets."

The 21-year-old Penrith attacking whiz, who missed game two with a calf injury, is also a major part of NSW's plans.

"It's different in this camp, we've trained to get more early ball to me and our centres and our strike players," he said.

"I want early ball and we'll see how we go from there."

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