Australian coach Tim Sheens will decide on the fitness of playmaker Daly Cherry-Evans on Thursday, ahead of this weekend’s must-win Four Nations clash with England.
Cherry-Evans is struggling with a hip injury, that forced him off before halftime in the Kangaroos’ loss to New Zealand last weekend.
Brisbane’s Ben Hunt will join Kangaroos halfback Cooper Cronk in the halves, if Cherry-Evans is ruled unfit for Sunday’s clash.
Sheens is keen to make an early call on the Manly premiership winner.
“I think we will make a call today,” Sheens said at training on Thursday.
“He has agreed to that, he doesn’t want to push it, for a game as important as this.
“He doesn’t want to push until Saturday and have little preparation.
“He wants to do the right thing by the group and if he isn’t fit we have plenty of good players in the squad.
“You are better off having a fit player play than someone who is in two minds about it than regret it later.”
Sheens is likely to err on the side of caution after his move to take a ill Greg Inglis into the match against England backfired after the superstar fullback was unable to continue after halftime.
Four-time premiership winning mentor Sheens says Hunt is ready for what would be a rapid rise for the former utility, whose future was uncertain at the start of 2014, before he starred in the Broncos’ premiership campaign.
The make up of the Australian bench will also depend on the availability of Cherry-Evans.
“I haven’t finalised the bench at this point, but again it depends on what Daly does,” Sheens said.
“I have a couple of bumps and bruises, as to what the actually bench make up will be, we will probably hold until an hour before the game actually.
“I think England are doing the same, don’t worry about that, they have 17 but they are talking about bringing other people in.
“I think (Sean) O’Loughlin is possibly in, and I think they have issues with a couple of players as well
“But at the moment we are just worried about ourselves and what the configuration of our squad will be.”
