Prince hampered by hamstring injury - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Prince hampered by hamstring injury

By Todd Balym 23/03/2009 07:31:14 PM Comments (0)

Gold Coast skipper Scott Prince has sent a scare through the Titans camp, limping off the training paddock with an apparent hamstring injury.

The champion halfback failed to finish the Titans' Monday training session after leaving the field clutching his hamstring.

Titans coach John Cartwright said he didn't know exactly what had happened to his No.1 playmaker.

"I don't really know to be honest with you," Cartwright told reporters after training.

"He is a little bit sore, it is just precautionary hopefully at this stage.

"I will go over and check with him after this (media conference)."

Prince is a crucial component of the Titans and his fitness will be vital against NRL ladder leaders the Bulldogs on Friday night.

The Gold Coast have won just two of 10 games without Prince since the club started in 2007.

While they have yet to reach the finals, their performances are drastically better when Prince is wearing the No.7 jumper with a 47 per cent winning record.

Complicating matters for the Titans is the fact their 'insurance policy', halfback Brad Davis, was ruled out for a month just last week with a rib cartilage injury.

Davis starred in both of the Titans' wins without Prince last year, although one of those victories was against a Melbourne side missing their host of State of Origin stars.

Gold Coast football manager Scott Clark confirmed there were concerns over Prince, with the 29-year-old given until Thursday to prove his fitness ahead of the Bulldogs game.

"He is a bit of a professional Princey and as soon as he felt something he went straight into the physio's room," he said.

"Hopefully it won't be too severe. At this stage he is not ruled out.

"We are very hopeful he will still be right to play.

"He has to train on Thursday morning at our last session for him to play."

If Prince is ruled out it would force a massive reshuffle of the Titans' lineup and could force former Dally M winner Preston Campbell into halfback for the first time since 2006.

Campbell has played almost all of his Titans football at fullback, but with William Zillman scoring twice in two games off the bench, Cartwright could opt to put the crafty 31-year-old back in the No. 7 jumper and promote Zillman to the starting custodian role.

Meanwhile, former Queensland winger Chris Walker is on the verge of a NRL recall after two solid performances for Ipswich in the Queensland Cup.

Cartwright confirmed the 29-year-old, on the comeback trail from successive Achilles tendon surgeries, is in the selection spotlight after young winger Jordan Atkins struggled in last Saturday's loss to St George Illawarra.

"He is (under consideration). There are a few that are doing well on the flanks," said Cartwright.

"I have to sit down with the coaches and watch all the vision from the weekend and we will come up with a side for the Bulldogs.

"I have a few changes in my head but I want to run them by the other guys."

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