Veteran winger James McManus will return fit and ready to the Newcastle Knights line-up on Saturday to take on the St George Illawarra Dragons after missing last round.
A training mishap saw him sustain a cut above his eye that got infected towarsd the back end of last week.
“I was pretty crook last week, the gash above my eye got pretty infected,” he said on Friday.
“I was rattled for a couple of days there but I’m feeling good now and am looking forward to tomorrow night’s clash.
“It’s not going to affect me at all.”
He said fact the Knights squad has plenty of depth is always a valuable asset.
“It’s great the boys got a good win and all worked hard for each other. It’s an exciting time here at the moment," he said.
“It’s good (Rick) Stoney has shown plenty of faith in me over the years.
“I have had a good start to the year, the last few games and it’s great that we have some depth and don’t lose too much if we lose something."
As the side aims for it’s fifth consecutive win, McManus says the team is prepared for the Dragons’ test and the added challenge of wet weather.
“We train for all sorts,” he said.
“The back three, we have some fair work ahead of us, particularly if the conditions are the way it looks like it’s going to be.
“Those tries off kicks are pretty crucial to stop when the conditions are like that.”
Game day information
Saturday April 4 – Round 5 Alex McKinnon Cup
Newcastle Knights v St George Illawarra Dragons
Gates open: 5pm
NYC: 5.15pm
NRL: 7.30pm
Venue: Hunter Stadium
Tickets: HERE
