Mason and Gidley remain in the mixNewcastle Knights coach Wayne Bennett hasn’t ruled out captain Kurt Gidley or forward Willie Mason for Sunday’s clash against the Canberra Raiders at Hunter Stadium despite not naming them in the team earlier in the week.
Gidley and Mason are both recovering from a calf injury and resumed skills training with the team on Thursday.
“Kurt is going good,” Bennett said after the session on Thursday at Balance, Mayfield.
“He might be right, he may not be, we are not sure yet.
“At this point in time he is not playing but the important thing is he hasn’t re-aggravated it today training.
“It is time he needs and if he is ready he will play.
“Willie is in the same category, there is a chance he will play but at this stage we are not confident.
“We won’t play him if he isn’t fit.”
Bennett wasn’t drawn into the hypotheticals of roles for players should there be any changes, “I have named a team, and that is what we are doing.”
What the coach was adamant about was backing up last week’s win with a good performance on Sunday morning.
“Consistency is the key. It is as much about routine as anything else and if you have a good routine there is a good chance you are going to be consistent,” Bennett said.
“We prepare well every week, they have been spot on with preparation and that gives you the best chance.
"I wasn't 'unconfident' last week, but I wasn't expecting what happened at Manly either.
“But they are preparing well every week and that is part of the program of being consistent.”
The Knights, like the Raiders, go into Round 4 after solid wins in Round 3.
“The Raiders had a good win, like we had a good win; you have to get confidence out of that,” Bennett stated.
Timana Tahu, who was named on the bench for Round 4, got through training on Thursday and the coach confirmed he will return on Sunday from a foot injury.
The Club is still awaiting further updates on the status of Beau Scott’s groin injury.
Bennett interview:
http://www.newcastleknights.com.au/news-display/Mason-and-Gidley-remain-in-the-mix/71106Source: http://www.newcastleknights.com.au/news-display/Mason-and-Gidley-remain-in-the-mix/71106
Topic: Bennett refuses to rule out key Knights for match against Raiders
