Cowboys Matt Scott ready to return to the place of his ACL injury with no fear of failure
AN uninhibited Matt Scott is ready to unleash against the Broncos, as the Cowboys star prepares to return to the scene where disaster struck last year.
Cowboys
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cowboys. Followed categories will be added to My News.
AN uninhibited Matt Scott is ready to unleash against the Broncos, as the Cowboys star prepares to return to the scene where disaster struck last year.
The North Queensland veteran made his long-awaited comeback to the NRL last Friday, after suffering a season-ending ACL injury in 2017.
Scott had been out of the game for almost exactly one year before his triumphant return against the Sharks.
But now he is gearing up for a new challenge, with the 32-year-old to meet the Broncos again, in the same round and on the same stage as where he did his ACL last year.
BRONCOS: Bennett punishment for ‘stupid football’
SKIPPER: Morgo wants to lead Cowboys
For the Queensland and Australian great, his approach to the blockbuster showdown at Suncorp Stadium is simple. He will show no fear.
“There’s no mental demons there,” Scott said.
“It’s just about my mindset ... not really thinking about it. If you go in half-hearted that’s when injuries can happen.
“I have a lot of experience dealing with injuries and coming back from major injuries. This is just another one of them.
“I just have to trust in the rehab I’ve done, all the hard work from the last 12 months and go out and concentrate on what I need to do one the field.”
Scott’s co-captain Johnathan Thurston was candid last month when he revealed he feared having his season cut short again, after suffering a shoulder injury last year.
But Scott said he had to have a different attitude, otherwise it would affect his form.
“If it happens, it happens and I’ll deal with it as best as I can,” Scott said of any injuries this year.
“I knew I did it straight away (last year). I came out of the line a little bit hard and went to stop and turn off my right foot and felt it go straight away.
“I hadn’t done it before but I’d heard enough about ACL injuries to know that’s what I did. It was early in the set so I just had to defend that set.
“I was pretty unlucky the way it all worked out but I’ve put it behind me and I’m looking forward to each week as it comes now.”
An unrestrained Scott could be a massive burden for the Broncos this week, after their shocking 34-12 loss to the Dragons.
While Brisbane struggled to find their feet, the Cowboys looked strong and Scott was particularly impressive, running for 94m and working tirelessly in defence.
Scott however believes the Cowboys will also have to go to another level to combat a hurt Broncos outfit on Friday.
“I’m sure after their performance last week, they’ll be looking to go back home and fix a lot of areas they were probably not as good at,” he said.
“I expect to see a completely different Broncos side. We’ve seen over the last couple of years how these matches tend to go to another level.”
Originally published as Cowboys Matt Scott ready to return to the place of his ACL injury with no fear of failure