Tate has fears for injured Cowboy

MATT Scott would risk his career if a comeback for the Cowboys in the grand final ends in another knee injury, former Cowboys teammate Brent Tate has warned.

Tate said Scott’s willingness to play for the Cowboys in a grand final on Sunday week underscored the 32-year-old prop’s confidence in how his knee has handled training workloads so far.

It was reported earlier this week that Scott would be picked for the grand final should the Cowboys beat Sydney Roosters on Saturday night, with his return being much less likely this week.

Tate made three comebacks from knee reconstructions in three-and-a-half years from July, 2007 – the third of which happened when he was 29.

“Matt is seven months along since his reconstruction, so it would be a big call, but it is Matt Scott,” said Tate, who played with Scott for North Queensland and Queensland.

“What maybe Matt needs to think is, at his age if he does it again do the stats say you are probably talking career.

“It would be a brave call to play, that’s for sure.”

Tate said he had returned to play from his first or second rehabilitation seven and a half months after surgery.

“It can be done, but it’s coming back in a game as intense as a preliminary final or a grand final which is the worry,” he said. “It’s not as if Matt would be playing in round 11 against the Tigers. That for me is a big risk, but it’s certainly possible.

“He wouldn’t put himself forward if he wasn’t confident about doing it.”

Scott would be used in the preliminary only in the event of injury to one of the selected forwards, but Tate thinks the Cowboys will have the measure of the Roosters.