Farnworth fails to finish Broncos training as superstar battles hamstring
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The Broncos have suffered a double injury scare with superstar Reece Walsh undergoing heavy physio on his hamstrings and calves, and Herbie Farnworth failing to finish training because of a quad strain.
Captain Adam Reynolds also needed some running repairs to the suspect left quad that he has played with all season.
On a warm morning in the Queensland capital, Walsh, impossible to miss wearing an Indigenous durag on his head, lay on the Suncorp Stadium surface for nearly 10 minutes being stretched out and rubbed down by club medico Matt Barradeen.
Walsh initially appeared to have an issue with his calves, but later pointed to his left hamstring as several Broncos coaching staff looked on with concern.
After a couple of light runs, Walsh was cleared to rejoin the main playing group. Walsh and Reynolds are arguably the two players the Broncos can least afford to lose for Sunday’s decider.
Farnworth, however, failed to finish training and left the ground with strapping around his left quad.
The in-form Englishman finishes up with the Broncos after the grand final against Penrith and will join the Dolphins, but would love one final 80-minute starring performance.
Broncos officials were quick to play down the seriousness of the injury, insisting Farnworth was not even likely to go for scans. He remains a chance to train on Thursday when the Broncos head to Leichhardt Oval in Sydney. Should he be ruled out, Deine Mariner is his likely replacement.
Herbie Farnworth with his quad strapped.Credit: Tertius Pickard/SMH
Farnworth has been in excellent form and comes up against Izack Tago, the Panthers centre who returned from a pec injury last Friday but was the only player to have a couple of slip-ups in defence against the Storm.
Representative centre Kotoni Staggs was confident Walsh and Farnworth would be cleared for grand final take-off.
“I didn’t see it, I did see he wasn’t in the last drill, but I couldn’t tell you [what’s happening],” Staggs said.
“He showed everyone last week what he can do when he’s fit and ready – he’s one of the best centres in the comp at the moment.
“All the hard work he does, he deserves all the credit he gets.
“At the end of the day you play footy to win comps, we have a couple of players leaving, it would be good for them to leave on a high note. It would be the best way to send him [Farnworth] out.”
Staggs plays his 100th NRL game, as does his Penrith opposite Stephen Crichton, and said of the Bulldogs-bound Panther: “He’s a classic centre out there, he’s been consistent and played some good footy.”
Brisbane fly to Sydney early Wednesday and will base themselves in Coogee for a few nights, before moving to Olympic Park on Saturday night.
Watch the NRL Grand Final Exclusive Live and Free on Channel 9 and 9Now.
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