Article - Mortimer confident he'll face Dogs - Eels Blogs

From - http://www.smh.com.au/news/lhqnews/mortimer-confident/2009/09/20/1253384903185.htmlINJURED Parramatta five-eighth Daniel Mortimer has received encouraging results of MRI scans taken on his hip, prompting him to yesterday declare, ‘‘I’m pretty confident I can get out there’’ against the Bulldogs in the grand-final qualifier at ANZ Stadium on Friday night.And in further good news for the Eels, the scans taken on centre Jonathan Wright’s injured ankle have revealed the problem to be much less serious than first thought. It was feared Wright had suffered torn ligaments, which would have ended his season, but the damage is restricted to bruising.The likelihood that Wright will recover in time to play the Bulldogs would be a huge boost for the Eels. Star centre Krisnan Inu has missed both of Parramatta’s finals games with a hamstring injury and is again likely to struggle to take the field this week.Mortimer was hurt early and Wright late in the 27-2 win over Gold Coast at the SFS last Friday night. Mortimer tried to stay on the field after being slammed in the left side by Titans forward Sam Tagataese as he made a clearing kick downfield, but he was in too much pain and could hardly run.Fortunately for the Eels, they had another playmaker on the bench in Feleti Mateo, who was able to slot into Mortimer’s position.Asked for an update on the injury yesterday, Parramatta club doctor Michael Johnson said: ‘‘There are three layers of muscle in the area in which Daniel was hit and it’s only the superficial, or outside, layer that is affected. He’s got a lot of bruising there but there are no associated fractures, so the early signs are good.‘‘There’s still a way to go before he could be cleared and he won’t train until Wednesday, so we’ll have to wait until then to get a really good idea of how he’s come up, but I’m optimistic. He’s already improving with physio and I think there’s a good chance he’ll be OK to play.‘‘As far as Jonathan is concerned, he’s got bruising to the side of his ankle, but nothing is torn. Again, you can’t be 100per cent sure at this stage, but he’s improving and he’ll keep having physio. He’s a good chance of playing. Krisnan is doubtful again. He tore a hamstring and these things take time to recover. We’ll have to wait and see how he progresses.’’Mortimer said he had been buoyed by the significant improvement in his condition since Friday night.‘‘I spoke to the doctor at the radiology place and Dr Johnson after that, and they said there was a lot of fluid around the joint and some bruising but nothing too bad,’’ he said. ‘‘I was very sore on Friday night, but I’m walking better now, and feeling better. I’m still on painkillers but the good thing is that the pain is just around the hip joint now, and not right down the side of my body like it was on Friday night.‘‘I know from past injuries that I’m a quick healer and Dr Johnson is optimistic about my chances, so I’m pretty confident I can get out there.’’Toughness, as well as skill, runs in the Mortimer family. A famous story concerns Daniel’s uncle, Chris, after he had switched from Canterbury to Penrith late in his career.Towards the end of the regular season in 1989, Chris Mortimer broke his thumb but as the finals approached he cut the plaster cast and pulled out the metal pins with a pair of pliers in front of stunned teammates, so he could resume training.‘‘Uncle Chris hasn’t told me himself but I’ve heard it off dad and all the old Penrith tragics,’’ Daniel said. ‘‘It’s a cult story and it’s true, and that toughness is something I’d like to live up to. Being a small fellow, you have to learn how to handle yourself anyway.‘‘I might be able to have needles to help me out but I’ll play through the pain if I have to. One mistake I wouldn’t make, though, is to go out there if I thought I was going to be a liability to the team.’’

"Russell has a few young players breathing down his neck. It really depends on injuries and form of these guys. A great opportunity for a young bloke to cement a first grade spot."

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