ARROW TO THE HEART
Titans loss compounded by injury to Maroons hero
QUEENSLAND ironman Jai Arrow is in grave danger of missing Origin II after suffering an ankle injury in the Titans’ agonising 24-20 loss to the Warriors at Cbus Super Stadium last night.
The pain of a defeat that leaves the Titans’ finals hopes on life support was compounded by injuries to star duo Tyrone Peachey (pec) and Arrow (ankle) in a nightmare eight-minute period at Robina.
Already missing star half Ash Taylor due to mentalhealth issues, the Titans were rocked by Peachey’s 20thminute setback before Arrow’s leg was caught under the weight of Warriors defenders.
Maroons coach Kevin Walters was at Robina for Fox Sports and he would have choked on his microphone when Arrow hobbled off in the 28th minute. The tackling machine watched the second half action on crutches with his left foot in a moon boot.
Arrow, Queensland’s starting prop in Game One, will have scans today.
“It doesn’t look good,” said Queensland selector Darren Lockyer said, who added it was the sort of high ankle sprain that usually rules a player out for 4-6 weeks. “We are down a couple of forwards.”
Titans coach Garth Brennan was also concerned.
“Jai has a syndesmosis injury – we don’t know the extent of it,” Brennan said.
“I’m not a doctor but I wouldn’t be booking his flight.”
With the Maroons team named tomorrow and Game Two to be played in just eight days, Arrow will need an MRI miracle to be cleared for the historic return bout against the Blues in Perth.
The potential loss of Arrow would be a crushing blow for a Queensland side that leveraged his workrate and hunger to draw first blood against the Blues 18-14 in the series opener at Suncorp Stadium.
But there may be a silver lining for the Titans, with prop Jarrod Wallace to surge back into the selection frame if his good mate Arrow is officially scratched for Origin II.
Axed for Origin I, Wallace did everything possible to win a recall for the Queensland side, charging for 148m from 19 runs to send an emphatic message to selectors.