Walking wounded
THE Gold Coast Titans will head to Penrith on Saturday sporting several players who shouldn’t even be on the field.
Titans coach John Cartwright yesterday admitted that some of his squad are so bruised and battered they should be sitting in ice baths rather than running out at the foot of the mountains.
Nate Myles (sternum) and Greg Bird (ribs) will push through the pain barrier to help the Titans harness a finals berth.
Cartwright gave his side a two-day rest following Sunday’s unconvincing win over Parramatta to recharge their batteries for the must-win clash against the Panthers.
‘‘To be honest, there’s guys out there that shouldn’t be playing but they are,’’ he said.
‘‘The fields are very hard at the moment. In effect, we’ve only had one day off. Monday after a Sunday game is generally very light.
‘‘We just decided to give them that extra day. It’s a six-day turnaround so we’ll still get two ball sessions in before the game.’’
The Panthers will be buoyed by the return of centre Michael Jennings from suspension and are high on confidence after beating Warriors in New Zealand.
Cartwright, who yesterday named an unchanged team, said he wouldn’t be surprised to see NSW star Luke Lewis turn out for his farewell match, despite having neck surgery last week.
‘‘It’s hard to understand why they are where they’re sitting (second last). They look like a very dangerous side and are strong in key areas,’’ he said.
‘‘I think they’ll get Jennings back this week and perhaps Luke Lewis. They’re a very strong side on paper and winning form is good form.
‘‘I’ve got no doubt, whether he (Lewis) plays or not, they’ll be doing some sort of recognition down there for him. It’ll be an emotional day for them.’’
While the Titans must win against the Panthers to stay alive in the finals race, next weekend’s Skilled Park clash against Manly is shaping as a blockbuster.
But Cartwright said he hadn’t given any thought to the match.
‘‘Manly mean nothing if we can’t beat Penrith this week,’’ he said.
‘‘To be honest, I haven’t even looked at the Manly game.
‘‘It’s all about this week and getting ready for Penrith. We’ve had a couple of days off and now we knuckle down and get ready.’’
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