NRL finals Late Mail: Sharks, Roosters make big calls, Tago ruled out by Panthers

Penrith’s Izack Tago has been ruled out of the finals clash against the Warriors, while the Sharks and Roosters have provided big injury updates.

Connor Tracey is set to overcome a knee injury for Cronulla. Picture: Getty Images

Penrith have suffered an injury blow with strike centre Izack Tago ruled out of a qualifying final clash against the Warriors.

It’s believed Tago suffered a pectoral injury at training during the week leading Penrith coach Ivan Cleary to officially withdraw the young gun from the side on Friday.

Tyrone Peachey has been moved from the bench to centre and Jaeman Salmon has been added to the interchange.

Penrith’s Izack Tago will not play against the Warriors. Picture: Getty Images

TRACEY, MANU CONFIRMED STARTERS

The Sharks are set to receive a huge boost with fullback Connor Tracey set to overcome a knee injury for a finals clash with the Roosters.

Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon confirmed on Friday that rolling the dice on an earlier than expected return of first-choice fullback Will Kennedy (hamstring) wouldn’t be required.

“Connor is looking like he’s good to go,’’ Fitzgibbon said ahead of Saturday night’s qualifying final.

“The benefit of having a 22-man squad is if in the event that Connor wasn’t right, we’d put Will in there.

“Will hasn’t trained much at all. If something wasn’t right with Connor and we couldn’t get him up, we might have had to roll the dice and take a risk on Will.

“But Connor is looking good.’’

Meanwhile, Roosters coach Trent Robinson has also confirmed Joey Manu (hamstring) is set to play.

“He tried to train last week and he couldn’t get there,’’ Robinson said.

“But he’s had one good session already and he needs to nail today to get across the line, move a bit faster and test that today and get ready for tomorrow.’’

Connor Tracey is set to overcome a knee injury for Cronulla. Picture: Getty Images

JOHNSON RULED OUT IN WEEK ONE FINALS STUNNER

Dylan Walker has emerged as the logical replacement for Warriors star Shaun Johnson who is a shock withdrawal from the side’s qualifying final against Penrith on Saturday.

In a monumental blow to the Warriors premiership claims, the 2023 Dally M favourite suffered a calf injury at training which has forced his omission from the clash with the Panthers at BlueBet Stadium.

In reaction to the worst possible news for the Warriors, the TAB wasted no time writing off the NRL’s fairytale story.

The Warriors have blown from $4.25 outsiders earlier in the week to beat Penrith to be now rated at $6.20 chances. Penrith are short-priced $1.12 favourites.

Both Warriors coach Andrew Webster and Johnson were putting on a brave face when they arrived in Sydney by a private charter flight on Thursday.

Wearing a compression bandage on his left calf, Johnson was bullish about the Warriors chances of a major upset.

“No, I’m not playing,’’ Johnson confirmed.

“We’ve come here to win a game and we’re going to do that.

“We’ve got players that can step in. We’ve done it all year, we’ve filled a role and that’s why we’re here.

“Our team has never been about one person, so this is no different.’’

Double needles and pure grit: Ponga’s medical cocktail

—David Riccio and Brent Read

Test legend Gorden Tallis has urged Newcastle to do whatever it takes to get an injured Kalyn Ponga on the field ahead of an elimination final against the Raiders on Sunday.

Ponga will require pain-killing injections to survive what is expected to be a brutal assessment of an AC-joint shoulder injury.

Tallis said Ponga needed to show the Raiders he was willing to put the pain aside in his very first carry of the match.

“I’ll be watching him get up from the first collision,’’ Tallis said on NRL 360.

“The (concussion) hurdle he jumped over at the beginning of the year, that’s one of the biggest hurdles in the game but watch the way he’s playing now.

“The thing he’s got to do is make his first touch his best and go straight into collision, test it early and see where he’s at.

“I wouldn’t even test at training, just get the super juice, ask the doc for a double serve.”

Kalyn Ponga suffers a shoulder injury in round 26. Picture: NRL Photos

NRL injury guru Brien Seeney has revealed that Ponga may be forced to leave the field for a top-up of painkilling injections during Sunday’s sudden-death final amid fears that his damaged shoulder will be a target for the Raiders.

Having missed the final round of the regular season to give his shoulder a rest, Ponga was named in the Newcastle side on Tuesday for the game against Canberra, one of two significant ins for the Knights alongside halfback Jackson Hastings.

The hope is that Ponga will be able to play the entire 80 minutes, although to do so he will be forced to rely on a cocktail of strapping tape, painkilling injections, padding and grim determination.

There is every chance at some point during the game he may be forced to leave the field to have another injection to ease the pain in his shoulder – he suffered damage to the AC joint in the penultimate round of the regular season.

“In terms of the painkilling injections, that is pretty standard for most AC (joint) injuries,” Seeney said.

“They are known as painful injuries but they are also known as injuries you can needle up and play through without the risk of long-term injury.

“In terms of Kalyn, that is the main concern – aggravation. You will want to needle it up.

“Then if he cops a blow on that same shoulder, that is going to be significantly painful for him.

“We have seen players in the past need to leave the field, get another painkilling injection, and then come back on. Or get another painkilling injection at halftime.”