Bulldogs Sweating On Stuart Test For South Clash

Newcastle Herald

Saturday April 19, 2008

NEIL GOFFET - RUGBY LEAGUE

KURRI Kurri coach Shaun Collingwood will give NSW Country star Dan Stuart until this morning to make a decision on his fitness for today's round-four Newcastle Rugby League clash with South Newcastle.

The Bulldogs are at home for the third time in four matches and welcome the return of imposing front-rowers Marty Oborn and Aiden Burke.

Oborn missed the past two matches after being suspended for a high tackle in their opening-round win over Raymond Terrace.

Burke suffered a torn calf muscle and representative back-rower Cheyne McIntyre sustained cracked ribs in the same match, but McIntyre will not be back today.

Karl Weatherley played last week in the 38-30 win over Lakes with a staph infection because his team were short of props but will rest his troublesome knee today.

Fullback Stuart, a former Western Division representative who played for Newcastle and NSW Country last season, will have a fitness test on his shin injury this morning.

"Dan will go for a run with [teammate] Mick Fortier and then see how he is after that," Collingwood said. "We'll see how he pulls up, but we've got a few players back and a few others out at the moment.

"We've got some depth at the club this year, and we've been testing it out a bit."

The Bulldogs will be without Steve Kidd and Daniel Palmer due to injuries but welcome back Simon Craig.

The best news for the club on the injury front this week came when former NSW Country centre Andrew Spicer had his knee operation.

It was feared Spicer would need a knee reconstruction, but the damage was only a torn ligament and he is hoping to be back in six weeks.

In today's other matches, Cessnock host Lakes and Central Charlestown play Nelson Bay at Passmore Oval.

Tomorrow Western Suburbs host Wyong and Terrace are away to Macquarie.

? The NSW Country Rugby League last night upheld Central Charlestown's appeal against a $1000 fine incurred for fielding 21 unregistered players in round one, but dismissed their attempt to have competition points from the round reinstated.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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