NO REST FOR NAPA

Sleep-deprived prop in fight to prove he’s fit for Game Two

FIERY Queensland giant Dylan Napa, has barely slept since suffering an ankle injury while playing for the Sydney Roosters on Friday night throwing his Origin campaign into doubt. The Maroons forward will have to get through today’s contested training session on the Gold Coast to receive the green light from coach Kevin Walters to play in Game Two on Sunday.

“I’ve only had about 12 hours sleep since the game (on Friday),” Napa said. “I’ve been around the clock on the ice machine and physio. I’ve just tried ... as best as I could and each 24 hours it’s been getting better.”

D-DAY has arrived for fiery Queensland prop Dylan Napa, who says he has barely slept since suffering his ankle injury in a bid to ensure his fitness for Origin II.

The Maroons forward will have to get through today’s contested training session on the Gold Coast to receive the green light from coach Kevin Walters to play on Sunday.

Napa aggravated an old ankle problem on Friday night while playing for the Roosters, throwing his Origin campaign into doubt.

But he has revealed just how much work he has put into getting himself healthy for today’s all-important training session, tending to his left ankle around the clock.

“I’ve only had about 12 hours sleep since the game (on Friday),” Napa said.

“I’ve been around the clock on the ice machine and physio. I’ve just tried to get the 72 hours of recovery as best as I could and each 24 hours it’s been getting better and better.

“It’s been numb pretty much the whole (recovery) because I’ve been in the ice and compressing it. I’ve had the compression socks on.

“It’s not too painful, it’s just whether I can accelerate and the finer details we’ll figure out in the field session … The real test will be (today).”

The 25-year-old was in serihe ous doubt ahead of the Game Two camp, but continual discussions with Walters had Maroons officials hopeful their starting prop would make a fast recovery.

He arrived in camp on Monday morning with a moon boot on his left foot and failed to take part in a light training session in the afternoon.

But the moon boot was gone yesterday and Napa was confident he could prove to Walters and the medical staff was fit. He suffered a similar ligament injury last year and was ruled out for two to three weeks, but said scans had shown this was not as bad and he could feel improvement.

“If it was up to me, I would be playing,” Napa said. “But that’s why I’ve got the professionals.”

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