THE Newcastle Knights are confident their only incumbent State of Origin representative, ironman Tyson Frizell, will be cleared to back up when they take on the Panthers at Penrith Stadium on Saturday.
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Frizell played 53 minutes in the 32-6 loss to Queensland at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday that clinched the series for the Maroons with one game remaining, at Sydney's Olympic Park on July 12.
Appearing in his 16th interstate showdown, the 31-year-old made 30 tackles but received limited opportunities with the ball, gaining 42 attacking metres from four carries.
Knights football director Peter Parr said all the indications were that Frizell would take his place in the starting line-up on Saturday.
"I haven't spoken to Tyson myself, but our expectation is that he'll play," Parr told the Newcastle Herald.
Our expectation is that he'll play.
- PETER PARR
Frizell is set to line up against a host of his NSW teammates, after the Panthers named Isaah Yeo, Liam Martin, Jarome Luai, Brian To'o and Stephen Crichton in their squad.
His return is timely given that fellow back-rower Lachlan Fitzgibbon has been ruled out after suffering a grade-one concussion in last week's loss to Sydney Roosters, which requires a mandatory 11-day stand-down.
Fitzgibbon's diagnosis came from the NRL's independent assessor, based in the bunker, prompting suggestions that the Knights may challenge it, as Manly and Canterbury have done recently after incidents involving Tom Trbojevic and Reed Mahoney respectively.
But Parr said that was never an option.
"There's some pretty strict guidelines that you have to meet before you can apply for an exemption," Parr explained.
"He didn't meet those criteria. He still had some symptoms after the game."
In Fitzgibbon's absence, rookie Dylan Lucas is set to play his third consecutive game in Newcastle's starting team. The 22-year-old played 80 minutes against the Roosters and produced a team-high 52 tackles.
A South Coast junior who also spent time in the Newcastle Rugby League competition with South Newcastle, Lucas has a contractual option in his favour for next season and Parr was confident he would be extending his tenure.
"I've had a couple of chats with his agent, and we're expecting a decision within the next week," Parr said. "We'd like to think he wants to stay. We've spent a fair bit of time helping develop him."
The Knights will hold their captain's-run training session on Friday morning, after which a decision will be made on the fitness of prop Daniel Saifiti, who missed the loss against the Roosters with a sternum injury.
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