Dylan Napa ‘absolutely’ playing, Dane Gagai quarantined
Queensland enforcer Dylan Napa wants to play through a broken wrist in Origin II, while opening game hero Dane Gagai has been separated from teammates after going down with a virus.
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Maroons prop Dylan Napa will summon Queensland’s famed spirit by playing in Origin II with a broken wrist.
Napa has declared he will “absolutely” take the field at Optus Stadium this Sunday night despite scans revealing a small break in his wrist.
The Napa development comes as Maroons match-winner Dane Gagai was struck down by a virus as Queensland’s build-up for Game Two suddenly went from trouble-free to turbulent.
Napa has been playing with a sore hand in recent weeks and aggravated the injury against his former club the Roosters last Sunday in a three-man tackle.
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Napa grimaced immediately and when he arrived in Camp Maroon on Monday, he advised Queensland doctor Matt Hislop of his problem.
But the Queensland enforcer is keen to push through the pain barrier in the vein of back-row legend Trevor Gillmeister, who famously checked out of hospital with an infected knee to captain the Maroons in 1995.
“I’m in no doubt,” Napa said.
“It happened on the weekend, I got a scan and there’s a small break there but they are giving me every chance to play.
“I have to take it day by day but I played the whole game with it on the weekend but it’s just another hurdle. I believe I can get over it.
“I’m not too sure if I will have a needle, I will leave it to the doctors, but I played the whole game on Sunday with it, so I’m pretty confident.”
Hislop said: “We’re providing treatment to give him every chance to play.”
Napa has been wearing a splint and will attempt to grip the ball at training in coming days to eliminate any concerns about facing the Blues.
Should Napa be a late scratching, Storm prop Christian Welch, Queensland’s 18th man, will be pitchforked into the side for his Origin debut.
Napa is not the only Maroon with some issues, with Gagai quarantined from the rest of the Queensland squad as he looks to overcome illness ahead of the return bout.
Gagai was Queensland’s hero in Origin I with the South Sydney ace snapping up the superb 95-metre intercept try which spearheaded the Maroons’ epic 18-14 victory at Suncorp Stadium.
But the Maroons flyer has barely been sighted in recent days after being ordered to have some bed-rest by Queensland doctors.
The 28-year-old did not take part in a Queensland pool recovery session on Monday.
Gagai was also absent at a Queensland media session after advising team management he was “crook”, but Maroons coach Kevin Walters is confident he will recover in time to start on the right wing against the Blues in Game Two.
The Maroons are banking on Gagai’s brilliance with the Test flanker having scored 11 tries from 11 Origin games since his Queensland debut in 2015.
Maroons five-eighth Cameron Munster said Gagai was crucial to Queensland’s hopes of finishing off NSW and reclaiming the Origin shield in Perth.
“He’s a big-game player,” Munster said. “It doesn’t matter if Dane is playing well or not in club football, whenever he comes into this Queensland team he steps up and plays great football.
“He’s so important to our team.”
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