Mullen out for 3-6, Dureau in Doubt

I think its more psychologically disadvantaging for the knights knowing they wont have a big name player there. In reality it isnt a HUGE blow with our current form.

Yea thats true.

I wonder if this would mean a completely diff. trial of halves (with that i mean Walsh). Bailey def. should go to 5/8, but would be interesting to see what BS does with the No.7 Spot.
 
Would've been even worse if Dureau got injured too. Cause the retarted commentators thought he was when he went off for a sec, but it turned out they were just retarted.
 
I think bailey should get a run this weekend see how he stakcs up, then depending how he goes, give walshy a run the week after. It is a huge blow for us to have mullen on the side line.
 
Knights hit by injury after Warriors raid

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THE Knights will need a new five-eighth and possibly a new halfback for Sunday's blockbuster against Brisbane at EnergyAustralia Stadium after Jarrod Mullen and Scott Dureau were injured in yesterday's 26-20 loss to the Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium.

But hooker and skipper Danny Buderus was confident of backing up against the Broncos despite suffering a corked thigh on his first run and hobbling around for most of the game.

Mullen tore his right calf muscle midway through the second half.

By full-time he was in the dressing-room with his lower leg strapped and encased in a protective CAM Boot.

Knights medical officer Dr Peter McGeoch said that Mullen would probably have an ultrasound when the Knights returned to Newcastle today but the early prognosis for the former NSW playmaker was up to three weeks on the sidelines.

Dureau will have X-rays to determine whether he fractured his ribs making a desperate but futile dive in an attempt to stop Patrick Ah Van's game-breaking try from Dureau's cross-field bomb in the 67th minute.

Mullen was treated on the field several times and tried to continue, even launching a bomb to test Warriors winger Manu Vatuvei, but eventually succumbed and limped from the field in the 58th minute.

"It just went on me. I was trying to get back onside and take off and just felt a snap in my calf, so I've torn my calf," said Mullen, who was sure the injury was not related to cramping problems he has had in the past.

"I just asked Moose [physiotherapist Martin Boyd] if I can play next week, and he said no way in the world, so I don't know when I'll be back. I tore my calf in the Brisbane game after Origin last year, but I can't remember if it was the same one.

"I've been doing extra stretching to prevent the cramps, and they didn't cramp last week, and they didn't cramp this week. It's just one of those freak things."

After Buderus was denied a try lunging at the line in the 66th minute, Dureau kicked to the left corner, but Ah Van outleapt the Newcastle chasers and ran almost 100 metres to score and stretch the Warriors' lead to 26-16.

Dureau gave chase and dived at Ah Van's legs as the 20-year-old Warriors winger crossed the halfway line en route to the Newcastle goal line.

The 21-year-old said he felt short of breath after hitting the ground and was in discomfort after the match.

"It's too early to tell whether it is [broken] at this stage, so I'll wait and see how it pulls up in the next few days," Dureau said.

Buderus played the second half with his right thigh heavily strapped but expected to be fit for Brisbane.

"It was my first run when I got tackled by [Simon] Mannering. It caused me a bit of grief, but anyway, I'll look after it this week and I should be fine," Buderus said.

Coach Brian Smith said he would review the halves situation after the team's medical check on their return to Newcastle today.

Following their golden-point loss to Parramatta the previous week, Smith was again pleased with his players' fighting qualities after the Warriors cleared out to a 14-0 lead midway through the first half.

Newcastle rallied with converted tries to Wes Naiqama and Cory Paterson to trail 14-12 at half-time then pulled to within 20-16 in the 60th minute when James McManus crossed out wide.

Buderus's near miss and Ah Van's try was the 12-point turnaround that broke Newcastle's back, but even then they refused to concede.

A weaving Kurt Gidley run set up Naiqama's second try in the 77th minute, but Gidley missed the conversion attempt, leaving the Knights six points in arrears, but they were hammering the New Zealand line in the final seconds until Logan Swann intercepted a Buderus dummy-half pass to secure a Warriors victory.

"We didn't start how we wanted. We wanted to give away no penalties and make them do all the tackling, but that switched around and we gave all the penalties away and we made all the tackles," Dureau said.

"It's good that we're fighting on and we're a team that's not going to give up, but we can't keep starting like that and giving teams head-starts and thinking we can come home and win every week."

Warriors captain Ruben Wiki said his side had won back respect after their 52-6 loss to Manly last Monday.

"We just wanted to get some respect for each other as players and for the club and for the fans," Wiki said. "We got the two points, and I think it was a bit of relief for the boys after last week's effort." with AAP
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Ive been looking for a decent article on the injury. Sucks.

And Dureau possible broken rib after attempting an ankle tap? Thats outrageous!

I would throw Walsh/Bailey in there... give Dureau time off, Bailey & Walsh been playing NSW Cup together.

Dureau hopefully isnt injured though, hes been playing awesome.
 
Mullen injury gives NSW the Blues
By Steve Mascord
April 07, 2008 12:00am

NSW's halfback crisis deepened last night with Newcastle's Jarrod Mullen likely to miss five weeks with a torn calf muscle suffered in the loss to the Warriors.

Mullen, a shock call-up for the Blues last season but a leading contender in 2008, left Mt Smart Stadium following the 26-20 loss with the bottom half of his right leg encased in a brace.

The Blues side to meet Queensland in Origin I - so short on halfbacks that Wests Tigers hooker Robbie Farah has been mentioned as a candidate - is selected on May 12, giving Mullen perhaps not one match to impress selectors.

"They reckon I've completely ripped it, the calf," Mullen, 21 this week, told The Daily Telegraph before boarding the Knights' bus.

"I just went to take off and I felt it snap straight away. There was nothing in the tackle or anything. A sniper up there got me. It could be four or five weeks but hopefully it's not that bad."

Team doctor Peter McGeoch added: "We think he's got a slight medial calf tear. He'll get an ultrasound done tomorrow to try and determine the extent of the tear."

The Mullen injury is of more immediate concern to Newcastle coach Brian Smith who must now find a new halves combination for Sunday's clash with Brisbane. And McGeoch added: "The other problem we've got is (halfback) Luke Dureau. He's got a possible rib injury."

Warriors officials will be hoping that yesterday's win arrests a worrying slide in attendances with fickle fans producing a crowd of just 11,518 following the shocking 52-6 loss to Manly.

Winger Patrick Ah Van was beaming last night after he scored a 100m try in the 68th minute to put the game out of reach.
S: DT
 
Hopefully it won't be 5 weeks but it still sucks. I rekon him and Dureau have been playing awesome together. I'd keep Scotty at the 7 and bring Bailey in at 5/8.
 
^ I think its more the papers getting him wrong. One called him Nathan or something the other day. Scotty is Scott, not a great big deal...
 
He has a brother named Nathan who plays u20's for Dragons, so maybe that's where the confusion has come from.
 
I would throw Walsh/Bailey in there... give Dureau time off, Bailey & Walsh been playing NSW Cup together.

That's what I'd go with too. Our only real options really, without chucking in half-baked halves like Gids or Hilder.
 
He has a brother named Nathan who plays u20's for Dragons, so maybe that's where the confusion has come from.

Who played absolutely shyt the other day I might add. Joey did mention Luke when he spoke about Scott against the Eagles and he sort of made out Luke wasnt very good. On the last tackle about 3-4 times he kicked it out on the full, took it down the blind side 3 metres in from touch. Took it on the last to try and score at a crucial stage. I was like this guy cant be related to Dureau... oh but he scored.
 
Some of his decisions were poor, but fair go ey, give the lad a break he isn't expected to be a top class world cup winning quality player.
 
Pretty sure its cuz the fact that the newspaper called him Luke Dureau

Probably cause it was some fat guy wanting to finish his report and go to bed when it was 4:30 in the mornin..

If we pull Walsh and Bailey in the halves, our lower grades are gonna struggle a bit. I know that's not as important, but it's good to have strong club depth as well. How many out of 5 did we win this week btw?
 
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