Meg’s out of casualty ward and raring to go
BRONCOS centre Meg Ward took no shortcuts in her fitness test for Sunday’s NRLW grand final, with the young gun now cleared to play with a fractured hand.
Ward, who sustained the injury in her Round 2 clash against the Roosters, was put through her paces on Tuesday night to prove she would be able to play through the pain in the premiership decider.
And the gutsy 24-year-old said she instructed Brisbane’s biggest players to run at her as hard as they could so she knew her hand could withstand every bump, tackle and pass.
While some players were understood to be hesitant at first, they eventually turned up the heat and Ward pushed through the full contact session to be given the all-clear for the must-win showdown with the Roosters in Sydney.
“You go into a game, you don’t want to go in soft,” Ward said.
“I told the girls run hard at me and they did, and I pulled up fine.
“I said to the coach (Paul Dyer) that if I couldn’t make it through the full session, then obviously I would rule myself out.
“He gave me every opportunity and I’m ready.”
Ward will play with her left hand strapped, saying she did not require any special protection other than the possibility of a small pad.
Ward’s clearance to play sets up another tantalising showdown with Roosters and Jillaroos centre Isabelle Kelly.
The pair first met in State of Origin – where Kelly was the star of NSW’s victory – and clashed again two weeks ago.