Billy Slater facing huge Test to be fit
“I’m not too sure if I will play,” Slater said yesterday.
“I’d like to sit here and say ‘ Yes I am’, but the reality is I have to get through the ( fitness) test. “I will train ( today) and make a call. ‘‘ If all goes well I will be there, if it’s not right, I won’t put myself in that position.
“I will train as normal and do some contact stuff at the end like running the footy and tackling.
“If my shoulder gets through that I will put my hand up to play. ‘‘ If not, I will let them know.” Slater is determined to reprise his role as Australia’s backfield match- win- ner after operations to his shoulder and elbow ruled him out of the Four Nations last November.
If he receives the green light today, Slater could achieve another memorable feat at Suncorp Stadium.
A hat- trick of tries against the Kiwis in the one- off Test would see him move to fifth on Australia’s tryscoring tally, joining the legendary Bob Fulton, who crossed 25 times in 35 Tests.
Should Slater be ruled out, Greg Inglis will shift to fullback, with squad member Michael Jennings to fill a possible void at left centre.
The veteran Maroons ace was a late scratching for Saturday night’s Melbourne- Manly clash but insists he was a legitimate chance of playing.
“It was all a reality,” he said. “I was preparing as if I was going to play last week, then I gave it a test on Wednesday and it just didn’t come up as I would have liked.
“I didn’t want to go out there and be vulnerable so I made a decision I wouldn’t play. But I was definitely approaching the week like I was playing.
“I spoke to Tim ( Sheens, Australia coach) last week and I was honest with him.’’
Kangaroos skipper Cameron Smith said his Storm clubmate had earned the right to make a call on his fitness.
“Billy will make the decision, he is the guy with the injury and the only thing he can do is test it at training and see how it pulls up,” Smith said.