Palu ready to shoulder Cup campaign

14/08/2007 9:56:01 AM
Steve Orme, Sportal

Dynamic No.8 Wycliff Palu is now confident his injured right shoulder can withstand the upcoming World Cup campaign.

Palu started for the Central Coast Rays in their narrow loss in the Mazda ARC opener on Friday night, and was untroubled by his problematic shoulder which will inevitably require surgery at some stage.

"I've always been confident with my shoulder, even before the game I was pretty confident. I was only nervous because I didn't know how I would last … but the shoulder pulled up fine and that's given me even more confidence."

But the 25-year-old powerhouse left the field seconds before the halftime break complaining of hamstring soreness and although confident, is no guarantee to take his place against the Rams on Saturday.

"The shoulder's really good. I've just got a little twinge in the hamstring but I saw the doc this morning and I think I should be right," Palu said.

"He (the team doctor) told me it was just a strain so I'll have a couple of days rehab and then make a decision I think on Thursday."

Palu revealed to Sportal on Monday that he in fact injured his hamstring on his first attacking raid in the opening moments of his comeback match.

But despite the setback Palu battled on and still managed a standout first-half performance.

"It was actually my first run, I felt a pull but after that there was a bit of pain there but my running was fine so I just stayed out there," Palu recalled.

For Palu, Friday night was his first experience of the Experimental Law Variations (ELV's) being trialled throughout the Mazda ARC and the big man liked what he saw.

"I thought it was pretty intense … it was my first time playing the new rules and I enjoyed it," Palu said.

"There's a lot more bodies lying around at the breakdown and it kind of gets a bit messy but that opens up the game a bit more out wide and I reckon it's good for the game."

Palu is looking forward to the clash against the Rams, should he recover in time, but expects no favours from his Waratahs comrades.

"I reckon they should be pretty tough, actually my house-mate Tatafu (Polota-Nau) is playing, so he's been giving it to me for a couple of weeks now," Palu said.