Anderson made me play with injury: Tahu - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Anderson made me play with injury: Tahu

By Steve Jancetic 29/09/2010 05:27:15 PM Comments (0)

Dual international Timana Tahu claims sacked Parramatta coach Daniel Anderson forced him to play through a debilitating ankle injury in a bid to save the Eels' NRL season.

In a bitter aftermath to Anderson's sacking from the club following a extraordinary board meeting on Monday night, Tahu said Anderson ignored the wishes of Eels medical staff in forcing the NSW Origin star to battle through the complaint which first surfaced in May.

The Eels struggled to live up to expectations throughout a poor 2010 campaign - pre-season premiership favouritism finishing in a disappointing 12th-placed finish.

"I've had it since Country (the City-Country) clash and I've just been restricted, since Country it's just been torture with this ankle and it still hasn't recovered," Tahu said.

"I could have done things better during the season to get back to 100 per cent but we were struggling during the year and Ando wanted players on the field training so it just got worse as we kept on going."

Asked if the injury - which threatens his availability for Australia's Four-Nations campaign - could have been better managed, Tahu said:

"Yeah it could have been but when the coach overrules the physios and the medical staff, it's an uphill battle.

"We just had to listen to what the coach wanted, we were under pressure during the year."

Not surprisingly Tahu backed the board's decision to release Anderson from the final year of his contract, with Melbourne assistant Stephen Kearney the hot tip to get the job ahead of former Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart.

"I support the club and the board 100 per cent," Tahu said.

"Every club wants to be successful and Parramatta needs to think about the future of where Parramatta wants to go and whatever decision they make I support them.

"It's a tough business being in the NRL as a player, I've been in that situation where you're not wanted ... it should go for coaches as well, if you don't perform then you know you're under pressure the same as the players."

Adding to the drama of Tahu's injury predicament is the fact he is off contract at the end of the year after it was revealed his agreement to return to the club following two years in rugby union was only for one season - with a verbal agreement for two more years.

While he has received assurances from chief executive Paul Osborne that his future is secure, Tahu admitted to having some sleepless nights worrying about his plight.

"It is a bit stressful, I've got three kids, I need to put food on the table for my family and I don't know what my future is," Tahu said.

"I was supposed to re-sign in round ten and I'm still to sign a contract.

"Ozzie's saying everything's fine ... (he's) told me Steve Kearney if he does get the job wants me there which is a positive thing, I'd like to be coached underneath him.

"Every club has spent all their money, I'm hoping that when I walk in soon that there's a contract sitting on the table waiting to get signed because if not I don't know where I'm going to go, I haven't talked to no-one.

"Clubs don't want injured players and especially at my age, coming to the back end of my career, they don't want old, injured players."

Despite being limited to the weights room on Wednesday, Tahu said he was still hopeful of making the final cut-off when the Australian squad was announced on Tuesday.

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