Turinui likely to miss trial
Turinui likely to miss trial
January 9, 2008 - 9:13PM
Prize NSW recruit Timana Tahu is likely to miss out on testing himself against Waratahs and Wallabies stalwart Morgan Turinui, when he makes his much anticipated union debut later this month.
Former league international Tahu is scheduled to make his first appearance in the 15-man code in an Australia Day trial against Queensland at Campbelltown.
The fixture also looms as the first chance for Queensland recruit Turinui to wear the famous red jersey for the first time following his off-season move north.
But Turinui, who like Tahu has been earmarked to play primarily at outside centre, has January 26 circled on his calendar for another reason.
"Morgan I don't think will play, his wife is due to give birth that day," Reds coach Phil Mooney said.
Moonie described Tahu as a great athlete with good skills and was looking forward to how the former Parramatta star handled his transition to union.
Tahu has served out a two game suspension carried over from rugby league by missing out on the Australian sevens team for the first two legs of the IRB World Series.
NSW coach Ewen McKenzie was confident Tahu would be fit to face the Reds after recently training in a separate group from most of his team mates, due to some hamstring niggles.
"He's still doing bits and pieces, he's sort of isolated, he's about one of about four or five blokes that have been out of the mainstream, coming back in on Monday," McKenzie said.
"That's still a couple of weeks to the first game."
McKenzie said he hadn't yet decided how much time Tahu would play in the three trials and if he would also get a run at inside centre.
He said Wallabies props Matt Dunning and Benn Robinson would also re-join the main training group next week.
Mooney said another former Waratahs centre Chris Siale would be in the 26-man Queensland side for the four-quarter trial on Australia Day.
However, his other major off season recruits, Wallabies winger Digby Ioane and former NSW lock Van Humphries will not play in the Reds first trial, along with halfback Will Genia, who has a broken hand.
AAP
