Danny
07-10-2004, 08:24 PM
FOX SPORTS
By Chris Stedman and Bret Harris
October 7, 2004
BULLDOGS rookie grand-final centre Ben Harris will have surgery this morning on a shoulder injury that he carried through the finals campaign.
And the NSW Waratahs yesterday increased the pressure on Braith Anasta, saying they will not hold a place for him in their 2006 Super 12 rugby union squad if he remains with the NRL premiers next year.
The Waratahs are interested in Anasta to solve their problem five-eighth position, but he is contracted to the Bulldogs for next year.
The Bulldogs may be prepared to release Anasta due to pressure to retain Willie Mason, Willie Tonga, Sonny Bill Williams and Jamaal Lolesi who, like the former NSW and Test five-eighth, come off contract next season.
"We would have moved on by then," Waratahs CEO Fraser Neill said yesterday.
Harris, who turned 21 on September 24, played in increasing pain as the Bulldogs charged to their first premiership since 1995.
After making a tentative start to the year in premier league, following unsuccessful surgery on the shoulder at the end of last season, Harris made 15 senior appearances for the premiers.
He will miss the first month of the club's premiership defence next year, but is confident in the assessment of Bulldogs doctor Hugh Hazard and surgeon Jerome Goldberg that he will make a full recovery.
"I had an operation on the shoulder last year, but it was always going to be a bit of gamble with a new procedure and it didn't really work," he said yesterday as the Bulldogs' grand-final celebrations continued with an appearance for fans at Belmore Sports Ground before their official presentation dinner at the nearby Canterbury League Club.
"Last time it was done arthroscopically, but this time they are opening up the shoulder and doing a full reconstruction," Harris said.
Harris said he learned to live with pain as the Bulldogs kept the extent of the injury, which he carried all season, under wraps.
"I think I just got used to the pain, but it became worse as the season went on. I seemed to live with an ice pack on the shoulder," he said.
Coach Steve Folkes showed his regard for Harris, who consistently topped the backline tackle count, by elevating him to first grade after the club's 32-6 round-nine loss to Newcastle.
Folkes promoted Harris to partner Tonga with Lolesi shifting to the wing, forcing New Zealand Test winger Matt Utai to premier league.
Utai regained his place at Harris's expense, but the young centre found himself back alongside Tonga, a selection this week in the Australian Test squad, after Lolesi suffered an ankle injury in round 22 and played every game since.
Harris will have the joint immoblised for three months before starting a long rehabilitation process.
He will take the opportunity to travel to Europe with his Portuguese-born fiancee Catherine for a month.
Meanwhile, Utai will play alongside Bulldogs team-mates Williams and debutant Roy Asotasi for the Kiwis in the opening match of the Tri-Nations series on Saturday week.
But Utai, who scored two tries in the Bulldogs' 16-13 grand-final win over the Sydney Roosters last Sunday, will miss the remainder of the series which moves to Britain after the opening match.
He will have surgery in the next fortnight on an ankle injury and, like Harris, will miss the start of next season.
"Matt has been severely restricted with the injury. He has not been able to engage in any ballwork until the end of the week throughout the season," Hazard said after the club's season-ending medical tests.
The Bulldogs have forwarded the medical assessments of the club's eligible New Zealand players to the Kiwi selectors.
Lolesi, who missed the team to play the Kangaroos at Albany's North Harbour Stadium but was named in an extended squad, has been given an encouraging report by Hazard.
"Jamaal has made good progress, playing 60 minutes in premier league in the first week of the finals and we think he should be fine," Hazard said.
It's the same story for teenage sensation Williams, chosen to lock the Kiwi scrum against the Kangaroos, and Asotasi who earns an international debut on the New Zealand interchange bench.
Todd Byrne has signed a three-year contract to play for New Zealand Warriors after being granted a release from the final year of his contract at the Sydney Roosters.
Byrne, 26, played in the Roosters' 30-8 premier league grand-final win after limited opportunity in first grade this season.
By Chris Stedman and Bret Harris
October 7, 2004
BULLDOGS rookie grand-final centre Ben Harris will have surgery this morning on a shoulder injury that he carried through the finals campaign.
And the NSW Waratahs yesterday increased the pressure on Braith Anasta, saying they will not hold a place for him in their 2006 Super 12 rugby union squad if he remains with the NRL premiers next year.
The Waratahs are interested in Anasta to solve their problem five-eighth position, but he is contracted to the Bulldogs for next year.
The Bulldogs may be prepared to release Anasta due to pressure to retain Willie Mason, Willie Tonga, Sonny Bill Williams and Jamaal Lolesi who, like the former NSW and Test five-eighth, come off contract next season.
"We would have moved on by then," Waratahs CEO Fraser Neill said yesterday.
Harris, who turned 21 on September 24, played in increasing pain as the Bulldogs charged to their first premiership since 1995.
After making a tentative start to the year in premier league, following unsuccessful surgery on the shoulder at the end of last season, Harris made 15 senior appearances for the premiers.
He will miss the first month of the club's premiership defence next year, but is confident in the assessment of Bulldogs doctor Hugh Hazard and surgeon Jerome Goldberg that he will make a full recovery.
"I had an operation on the shoulder last year, but it was always going to be a bit of gamble with a new procedure and it didn't really work," he said yesterday as the Bulldogs' grand-final celebrations continued with an appearance for fans at Belmore Sports Ground before their official presentation dinner at the nearby Canterbury League Club.
"Last time it was done arthroscopically, but this time they are opening up the shoulder and doing a full reconstruction," Harris said.
Harris said he learned to live with pain as the Bulldogs kept the extent of the injury, which he carried all season, under wraps.
"I think I just got used to the pain, but it became worse as the season went on. I seemed to live with an ice pack on the shoulder," he said.
Coach Steve Folkes showed his regard for Harris, who consistently topped the backline tackle count, by elevating him to first grade after the club's 32-6 round-nine loss to Newcastle.
Folkes promoted Harris to partner Tonga with Lolesi shifting to the wing, forcing New Zealand Test winger Matt Utai to premier league.
Utai regained his place at Harris's expense, but the young centre found himself back alongside Tonga, a selection this week in the Australian Test squad, after Lolesi suffered an ankle injury in round 22 and played every game since.
Harris will have the joint immoblised for three months before starting a long rehabilitation process.
He will take the opportunity to travel to Europe with his Portuguese-born fiancee Catherine for a month.
Meanwhile, Utai will play alongside Bulldogs team-mates Williams and debutant Roy Asotasi for the Kiwis in the opening match of the Tri-Nations series on Saturday week.
But Utai, who scored two tries in the Bulldogs' 16-13 grand-final win over the Sydney Roosters last Sunday, will miss the remainder of the series which moves to Britain after the opening match.
He will have surgery in the next fortnight on an ankle injury and, like Harris, will miss the start of next season.
"Matt has been severely restricted with the injury. He has not been able to engage in any ballwork until the end of the week throughout the season," Hazard said after the club's season-ending medical tests.
The Bulldogs have forwarded the medical assessments of the club's eligible New Zealand players to the Kiwi selectors.
Lolesi, who missed the team to play the Kangaroos at Albany's North Harbour Stadium but was named in an extended squad, has been given an encouraging report by Hazard.
"Jamaal has made good progress, playing 60 minutes in premier league in the first week of the finals and we think he should be fine," Hazard said.
It's the same story for teenage sensation Williams, chosen to lock the Kiwi scrum against the Kangaroos, and Asotasi who earns an international debut on the New Zealand interchange bench.
Todd Byrne has signed a three-year contract to play for New Zealand Warriors after being granted a release from the final year of his contract at the Sydney Roosters.
Byrne, 26, played in the Roosters' 30-8 premier league grand-final win after limited opportunity in first grade this season.