UP AND AWAY!
COACHES LA UD TE MAIRE’S TOUGHNESS
COWBOYS star Coen Hess autographs a football for young fan Samuel Elliott, 8, at Townsville Airport yesterday before the team flew to Sydney for their NRL semi- final clash with Cronulla tomorrow.
NORTH Queensland assistant coach Todd Payten has heaped praise on the toughness of Te Maire Martin as the mid- season recruit continues to battle his way through a “significant” knee injury.
Payten revealed the five- eighth’s willingness to play with pain has won over his new teammates, withh the grade two medial ligament injury normally sidelining players for at least a few weeks.
Given the Cowboys’ lack of options in the halves without Johnathan Thurston, the 21- year- old has played on to help keep his team in the premiership hunt.
COWBOYS assistant coach Todd Payten has praised Te Maire Martin’s resilience in playing on with a “significant” knee injury, revealing the five- eighth’s courage has won over his new teammates.
Martin, who joined the Cowboys from the Panthers mid- season, is nursing a grade two medial ligament injury which would rule most players out for a few weeks.
But given the Cowboys’ lack of options in the halves without Johnathan Thurston, the 21- year- old has played on under duress for the past month with a similar injury teammate Shaun Fensom is battling.
Martin missed one game against his former side Penrith in round 23, but has battled on since and will be rewarded with the first finals game of his career against Cronulla tomorrow.
“He’s a tough kid well beyond his years,” Payten said.
“You can learn that along the way when you get to 26 or 27 with 150 games under your belt, that’s when you start to realise how to play with pain and niggling injuries.
“( But) that’s not a niggling injury, that’s quite significant. To see what he’s been able to do, it’s impressed a lot of the players and he’s got guys on side with that straight away. It’s been a good example for some of the younger players, too.”
The Cowboys are coming off a 10- day break after their final round loss to Brisbane, which has allowed Martin and a handful of others carrying injuries to rest up before their season goes on the line against the Sharks.
Despite picking up a hamstring injury early against the Broncos and describing himself as a “passenger”, Payten insisted winger Antonio Winterstein would play.
“We’ve been really happy with him, his two field sessions he moved really well,” Payten said.
“Us coaches and the medical staff talked at length whether it was the right call to play him or not, but he was really strong ( at training) and it’s not a risk.”
Prop Braden Uele and outside back Enari Tuala travelled with the side to Sydney yesterday, but aren’t expected to play.