Brisbane’s Sam Thaiday has warned North Queensland star Brent Tate not to expect any favours from his former Broncos teammates if he carries a rib injury into Friday night’s NRL clash at Suncorp Stadium.
The Cowboys, desperate to hit back after their embarrassing home loss to the Gold Coast in round one, named Tate in an extended 19-man squad on Tuesday with the Test centre facing a fitness test on his ribs later in the week.
“He didn’t do any contact (work) last week but he’ll start this afternoon and we’ll pad him up him up and get him out there,” said Cowboys coach Neil Henry.
“He’s keen to play.”
Thaiday, who’ll play his 150th game for Brisbane and his first at home as club captain, said on Tuesday Tate could expect to be targeted if he carried a rib cartilage injury into the clash.
“He’s got chalk bones and rubber band muscles,” joked Thaiday of rival Tate with whom he’s played NRL, State of Origin and Test football alongside over the years.
“Anyone would test his ribs out. It’s what happens in footy – your body is always on the line.
“If you go into a game with sore ribs or sore whatever, it’s going to get tested out by everyone in the team.”
“Tatie’s always got something wrong with him, but he’s a fighter and tough character and, when he come’s back, you know he’ll play at 100 per cent.”
Leading Brisbane sports physiotherapist Lindsay Trigar, who’s worked with players at various NRL clubs, said two weeks ago Tate would have to be “Superman” to come back so soon after he sustained the injury a fortnight ago in a trial against the Titans.
Petero Civoniceva meanwhile will make his homecoming in front of an expected 40,000-plus crowd off the bench after missing last week’s season-opening win over Parramatta through suspension.
Thaiday will again start in the front row, something he dryly admitted he’d “never” get used to.
“I have to play there for the time being until a few front-rowers get some form and fitness,” he said.
“I’ll be whipping Petero as much as I can to try and get him back in the starting position so I can move to the back-row where I enjoy it more.”
Civoniceva’s lack of match fitness coming back from a serious pectoral injury swayed Broncos coach Anthony Griffin to ease him back via the bench.
“Pet only had about 30 minutes against Melbourne in our last trial in Tasmania so we’re going to bring him in off the bench and hopefully he can have some impact,” said Griffin.
“Thaiday and Ben Hannant (man of the match) did a terrific job for us last week. I thought they were our two best against Parramatta.”
