ALBURY Thunder fullback Ben Jeffery has escaped serious injury to his shoulder and is confident of only missing tomorrow’s Group 9 match against Junee at Laurie Daley Oval.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Despite fearing the worst when he went down in the opening minutes against Wagga Kangaroos at Greenfield Park last weekend, Jeffery said yesterday the damage was minimal.
“It came out and went straight back in,” Jeffery said.
“I just stretched a few muscles.
“I’ll rest it for a week and will be right to go.
“I didn’t know what I had done.
“It was sore for a few days, but has settled down well.”
Jeffery, 28, has only missed one match, with a hamstring injury, since joining Albury Thunder in 2012 from Griffith and is among the present leaders in the Weissel Medal count.
The Thunder will start hot favourites against Junee tomorrow with the Diesels coming off a 54-6 drubbing from Southcity last weekend.
But Jeffery warned the Diesels would be no easybeats after pushing Gundagai a fortnight ago and said the premiership race was wide open with eight rounds remaining before the finals.
“The competition is a lot more even this year,” he said.
“It has evened right up.
“Young was a really good game for us all the way over there in the mud two weeks ago.
“If they put it together they are going to be dangerous.
“Southcity are always hard to beat as well.”
Jeffery’s unavailability this weekend will be offset by the return of powerful forward Andrew Cowhan, who withdrew last weekend due to illness.
In other matches, Cootamundra hosts Tumut, Kangaroos take on Tumbarumba, Wagga Brothers face a crunch match against Gundagai and Temora do battle with Southcity.
Young has the bye.
