Dragons in no rush to get Sims back on the field
JAKE Clifford is already confident enough to override the great Johnathan Thurston’s on- field calls at North Queensland. But the young playmaker insists he has much to learn before stepping up in retired Thurston’s absence at the Cowboys next NRL season.
And Clifford is hoping time spent with Daly Cherry- Evans and Ben Hunt in the Prime Minister’s XIII will fast- track his education.
Capping his stellar year, five- eighth Clifford will partner skipper Cherry- Evans in the halves for Saturday’s annual clash with Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby. It is another 2018 highlight for Clifford who not only earned his NRL debut but finished the season as Thurston’s regular Cowboys halves partner, playing six games.
The Cowboys Rookie of the Year saved his best until last by setting up three tries in Thurston’s final game of his 17- season career, at one stage overriding the former Test playmaker’s calls for the ball.
Asked if he believed he could step up as Michael Morgan’s North Queensland halves partner in 2019, Clifford said: “I hope so.
“I have only got six NRL games under my belt. To run a team there is a bit more to it.
“( But) I definitely built confidence after a few games under my belt.
“I felt more confident calling for the ball. If he ( Thurston) wanted it, I had the confidence to do that ( override his call).”
Clifford hopes his time with Manly playmaker CherryEvans and St George Illawarra No. 7 Hunt will aid his crash course in how to help run a team in Thurston’s absence.
“It will be a good experience playing next to Daly and Benny.’’ NEW South Wales State of Origin second- rower Tariq Sims will miss the start of St George Illawarra’s pre- season after he and the Dragons opted to take a long- term approach with his knee injury.
Sims who won the Dragons’ player of the year medal on Wednesday night, tore the lateral meniscus in his right knee in their NRL semi- final loss to South Sydney last month.
Usually only a two- week injury when the meniscus is removed in surgery, Sims decided on a slower approach that is unlikely to see him return to training until the new year but should help the 28year- old’s fitness in the longer term.
“The surgeon went in and stapled down the meniscus ( rather than removing it),” Dragons high performance boss Nathan Pickworth said on the club’s website. “The difference with that is it will be a bit of a slower rehab in the earlier stages so we’re looking at a three- four month mark of him getting back to training and playing.
“It’s a bit slower than your usual meniscectomy.
“The benefits we have done is in the back end of Tariq’s career as he won’t be at risk of getting early onset arthritis.
“He’ll be able to run nor- mally and do all the things he needs to do like that.”
Sims played four seasons for the Cowboys from 2011.
The Dragons have otherwise received good news on the injury front after they endured a tough end to the season, in contrast to going a record 12 rounds without changing their starting side.
Lock Jack de Belin won’t require surgery on his injured ankle and will likely be fit to start pre- season training at the same time as the rest of the team on November 19.
Captain Gareth Widdop will have a longer break after surgery on his dislocated shoulder, but the Saints are confident he’ll be fit for the start of next season.
Prop Paul Vaughan should also begin running on return from ankle and foot injuries at around the same time as the start of pre- season.