Vatuvei in doubt for Kiwis

Bullocking winger Manu Vatuvei has yet to train for the Kiwis since sufferring a groin injury against Scotland and may miss their Wembley semi-final.

New Zealand winger Manu Vatuvei

Winger Manu Vatuvei remains in doubt for NZ's Rugby League World Cup semi-final with a groin injury. (AAP)

Blockbusting wing Manu Vatuvei remains in serious doubt for the Kiwis Rugby League World Cup semi-final against England at Wembley.

Vatuvei injured his groin during the quarter-final victory over Scotland at Headingley and hasn't trained since and skipped Tuesday's session.

Assistant coach Ivan Cleary says it's too early to make a decision on his availability but was hopeful he would face England.

"It's still Tuesday. He's doing everything he can in rehab at the moment. We'll give him as long as we can. We'll see how he progresses and take it from there," Cleary said.

"Medical advice is that there is no use running him today. He probably could train, but at this stage we're just trying to give him every chance to recover so when he does train, he can train close to full fitness."

Cleary said the even if Vatuvei isn't 100 per cent, he may still make it onto the Wembley pitch.

"He surprised me last week and we're getting to the stage now where they're pretty keen to play. When the stakes get this high, you never rule anyone out."

If Vatuvei is ruled out, veteran Kiwis wing Jason Nightingale will slot straight onto the left edge.

"Jason Nightingale has arguably been one of the form wingers in the NRL over the last five years. He's always done well for the Kiwis and is busting for a game as well. It's a pretty good position to be in," Cleary said.


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world