Slater’s NRL return put on ice
Melbourne Storm’s star fullback Billy Slater will miss at least the opening two games as he continues to build strength in a shoulder operated on twice in the past two years. Coach Craig Bellamy said Slater (above), who has played just eight games in the past two seasons, was progressing well but given he is 33, turning 34 in June, no risks would be taken with the superstar.
“I’m not quite sure I could say we are on track, but I don’t ever think we have had a track that was clear. It was all pretty blurry along the way,” Bellamy said. “We are really happy with the way it is progressing.”
RUSSELL GOULD MELBOURNE Storm’s star fullback Billy Slater will miss at least the opening two games as he continues to build strength in a shoulder operated on twice in the past two years.
Coach Craig Bellamy said Slater, who has played just eight games in the past two seasons, was progressing well but given he is 33, turning 34 in June, no risks would be taken with the superstar.
“I’m not quite sure I could say we are on track, but I don’t ever think we have had a track that was clear. It was all pretty blurry along the way,” Bellamy said.
“We are really happy with the way it is progressing.
“But we’ve waited a long time so we’re not going to take any risks with him physically or mentally.
“It should be sooner rather than later that he plays. ”
Slater yesterday confirmed he had been doing full contact at training for some weeks but knows the intensity of a game will be another step up again.
“It’s been a long time since I have made contact on a footy field and getting into that has certainly not just built my confidence but built my strength in the shoulder,” he told the club website yesterday.
Meanwhile, Storm’s Round 1 line-up will feature at least five different faces from the 17 that lost last year’s grand final to Cronulla with confirmation yesterday representative backrower Tohu Harris has been struck down with a stress fracture in his foot.
The Kiwi international will miss the next eight to 10 weeks.
Storm will likely open the season against the Bulldogs next Friday with a fill-in fiveeighth too as Bellamy’s preferred option, Cameron Munster, could be required at fullback.
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