Wests Tigers prop Matt Groat is set to take his place in the NSW team to play Queensland in the inaugural Under 20 State of Origin rugby league game on Saturday after recovering from the shoulder charge put on him by Brisbane NRL forward Ben Te’o.
Groat didn’t play for the Tigers last weekend, saying the club’s medical and coaching staff thought he should rest.
The young prop on Monday wanted to look forward to next weekend’s game at Penrith rather than dwell on Te’o’s tackle, which earned the Broncos star a two-week suspension.
“A few headaches and I wasn’t too good,” Groat said about the effects of the shoulder charge, but he declined to make any other comment.
He supported the concept of the Under 20 Origin fixture.
“I reckon it’s good we’ve got media coverage on television on the up and coming young players and it should be an interesting game,” Groat said.
He is one of six players with NRL experience in the NSW team.
The Queensland team includes prop Korbin Sims, whose brother will play for NSW Country this weekend, but ARL officials emphasised selection in the Under 20 team didn’t bind a player to that state for senior Origin matches.