Having initially feared he had broken his leg, Manly captain Jamie Lyon declared himself a certain starter for Friday’s NRL preliminary final against South Sydney.
Lyon looked in agony as he reeled out a tackle in Friday night’s semi-final win over Cronulla, the Sea Eagles centre clutching and then limping heavily on his left leg before seeing out the contest.
With his leg packed in ice after the game he appeared in serious doubt to face the Rabbitohs, but the skipper said he would be there at ANZ Stadium – insisting the injured leg would not prevent him from training.
“They (the scans) were fine, just had a bit of a bang on it and there was a bit of bruising but it’s a good result and there’ll be no doubt this week,” Lyon said at the Sea Eagles recovery session at North Narrabeen beach on Monday.
“I’ll be out there playing, so it’s good.
“I’ll probably have a normal week, take it easy. I’ll have a run tomorrow. It’s settling down better each day so I’ll be fine.”
Lyon admitted he feared the worst when the injury occurred, his leg caught under the weight of a pair of defenders.
“I thought it was bad, I thought I’d broken my leg at the start,” Lyon said.
“I was probably carrying on a bit out there but it was good news and it settled down after a little while.”
Lyon isn’t the only concern for the Sea Eagles, and while he admitted Brett Stewart was no certainly to return from a hamstring strain, the veteran centre was confident Anthony Watmough (knee) would be fit to play.
Stewart hasn’t played since round 25, and was touch and go before being ruled out at the last minute against the Sharks.
The Sea Eagles have lacked some fluency in their attack without their star fullback.
“Brett’s probably the biggest (injury concern) there,” Lyon said.
“… he’s obviously got to get through a few fitness tests and a few team sessions.
“Hopefully he’s right, he’s a big part of our team and he adds another dimension.
“Even though Peta Hiku’s done a great job (at fullback), Brett’s been around for a while and he’s very valuable for us.”
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