THE COMEBACK
HE was touted as a potential buy of the year, but his season so far has amounted to just 22 minutes. Yet Shane Shackleton, whose first year with Parramatta was wrecked in his first NRL match for his new club when he ripped his hamstring off the bone in round one, is eyeing a surprise return - possibly even before the finals.
Shackleton was originally told his season was over after his injury against St George Illawarra, with surgeons telling him he faced 12 months on the sidelines. But he said yesterday he hoped to return just halfway through his expected recovery.
''There's a definite possibility that I could make it,'' Shackleton said. ''I'm definitely way ahead of what was expected early on. Everything's going pretty well, but it's entering a pretty important time. The next few weeks will make a big difference.
''Whether I'll be right to play … I'll put myself in there and give myself every chance.'' In an already remarkable recovery, given the original prognosis, Shackleton joined his teammates for a warm-up on Monday in a significant step towards a return this season.
While officials have cautiously suggested a return only in time for the finals, Shackleton believes he will need to make his comeback before then, given coach Daniel Anderson would be reluctant to throw an underdone player straight into his squad for a finals match.
''I'm aiming to get back before the finals,'' Shackleton said yesterday. ''Unless I play a few games before the semis, I don't think they'll want to chuck me in there for those games. I'm aiming for that. We'll see how we go.''
Shackleton has been running for several weeks and is hoping to begin full-time training with his teammates in the next fortnight.
''When I first did it, they said it'd be a 12-month injury,'' he said. ''It's only been five months now, so if you look at it like that, hopefully I'll be right to play within a month or five weeks. It'd be unbelievable if I could make it back this year.
''In saying that, I'm not going to rush anything. I'm not going to be silly about it. I don't want to get ahead of myself.''
Of his hamstring, Shackleton said: ''It's still a bit weak but it's getting better.''
The Eels have won their past three matches and are back in finals contention after a sluggish first half of the season, and now face fellow high-flyers the Roosters, Shackleton's former club, on Saturday night. Shackleton admitted that the Eels' poor run had affected his own rehab.
''There were a few weeks there where I thought I may as well go home and stop training,'' he said. ''They weren't going so well. But they've got a lot more spark now.''
Replies
Look forward to seeing him as a sub, hopefully he adds a spark to the team.
k keating mannah horo poore?
If the wheels fall off though and all of a sudden we are struggling to get in to the Finals then yeah, maybe give him a shot to shake things up a bit. But I hope he is well and truly fit and not rushing back too soon.