It wouldn’t be NRL Grand Final week without an injury scare and Broncos star Herbie Farnworth is under a cloud for Sunday’s game after a training mishap.
Teams have been named and both coaches have announced unchanged squads from the preliminary finals.
Farnworth failed to finish training on Tuesday due to a thigh problem and the English centre received treatment to assess the extent of the injury. If he were to be ruled out, Kevin Walters could recall veteran winger Corey Oates with Jesse Arthars moving into the centres.
But the fact that he didn’t include a specialist centre like Deine Mariner in his extended squad suggests Farnworth will be fine.
Broncos coach Kevin Walters said on Wednesday that all his injured players were no chance of missing the match.
Star fullback Reece Walsh and captain Adam Reynolds also had treatment on their left legs during Tuesday’s session while prop Payne Haas was battling a finger complaint.
Walsh was on the ground for eight minutes receiving assistance from Broncos physiotherapist Luke Anning on what appeared to be a hamstring or glute issue.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Penrith duo Jarome Luai (shoulder) and Izack Tago (pectoral) made it through their comeback match unscathed in the preliminary final win over Melbourne.
Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary copped a head wound but will be right to face the Broncos.
Storm duo Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Josh King were fined for incidents in the loss to the Panthers.
Asofa-Solomona was charged with a Grade One Dangerous Contact offence on Penrith co-captain Isaah Yeo in the 58th minute while King was charged one minute later for the same offence on Cleary.
King escaped with a $750 fine while Asofa-Solomona has been pinged $1000.
In the NRLW, the judiciary system allowed star Newcastle forward Caitlan Johnston to pay $400 to play in the grand final, despite a high tackle charge.
Johnston was on Monday morning hit with a grade-one charge for a careless high tackle on Brisbane lock Mariah Denman in the Knights’ 30-24 semi-final win on Sunday.
While the offence carries with it a one-match ban with an early guilty plea, NRLW rules allow players to accept a $400 fine in place of most grade-one offences.
It means the NSW and Australian representative prop will be able to play in the decider against the Gold Coast. The Titans and Knights have named unchanged line-ups.
Caitlan Johnston celebrates. (Photo by Scott Gardiner/Getty Images)
Odds: Knights $1.55, Broncos $2.60, courtesy of PlayUp
Knights: 1 Tamika Upton, 2 Sheridan Gallagher, 3 Shanice Parker, 4 Abigail Roache, 5 Jasmin Strange, 6 Georgia Roche, 7 Jesse Southwell, 8 Tayla Predebon, 9 Olivia Higgins, 10 Caitlan Johnston, 11 Laishon Albert-Jones, 12 Yasmin Clydsdale, 13 Hannah Southwell (c) 14 Nita Maynard, 15 Tiana Davison, 16 Kayla Romaniuk, 17 Rima Butler, 18 Jacinta Carter, 19 Caitlin Moran, 20 Felila Kia, 21 Tamerah Leati, 22 Jayde Herdegen
Titans: 1 Evania Pelite, 2 Karina Brown, 3 Jaime Chapman, 4 Niall Williams-Guthrie, 5 Destiny Mino-Sinapati, 6 Chantay Kiri-Ratu, 7 Lauren Brown, 8 Shannon Mato, 9 Brittany Breayley-Nati, 10 Jess Elliston, 11 Zara Canfield, 12 Shaylee Bent, 13 Georgia Hale, 14 Sienna Lofipo, 15 Steph Hancock, 16 Rilee Jorgensen, 17 Dannii Perese, 18 Taliah Fuimaono, 19 Kaitlyn Phillips, 20 Laikha Clarkea, 21 Hailee-Jay Ormond-Maunsell, 22 Emily Bass
Odds: Panthers $1.62, Broncos $2.30, courtesy of PlayUp
Panthers: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Izack Tago 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Brian To’o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Jack Cogger 15. Lindsay Smith 16. Spencer Leniu 17. Luke Garner 18. Tyrone Peachey 19. Matt Eisenhuth 20. Zac Hosking 21. Luke Sommerton 22. Thomas Jenkins
Broncos: 1. Reece Walsh 2. Jesse Arthars 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Herbie Farnworth 5. Selwyn Cobbo 6. Ezra Mam 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Thomas Flegler 9. Billy Walters 10. Payne Haas 11. Kurt Capewell 12. Jordan Riki 13. Patrick Carrigan 14. Tyson Smoothy 15. Brendan Piakura 16. Kobe Hetherington 17. Keenan Palasia 18. Corey Oates 19. Martin Taupau 20. Corey Jensen 21. Jock Madden 22. Tristan Sailor
with AAP
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