OLD Bar co-coach Jordan Worboys fears a chronic knee injury could delay or even curtail his participation in his side's Group Three Rugby League premiership defence.
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Worboys, a halfback, was named player of the match in last season's 22-10 grand final win over Port Macquarie to notch the club's first premiership since 1999. However, he's hardly run since and was on the sideline when the Pirates played Central Newcastle in a trial game at Old Bar last Saturday as part of the Joel Dark Memorial day.
"I'm doing some rehab work with the physio at the moment and I'm hoping for the best,'' Worboys said.
"But I haven't run in six or seven months, so I really don't know if I'll be right.''
Worboys said the Pirates are light-on the options this year.
"Age is catching up with me at the moment,'' the 30 year old said.
"I can hardly walk up stairs it's frustrating.''
Worboys recently underwent an MRI.
"The ligaments and tendons between my femur and knee are worn out,'' he explained.
"So they're grinding on each other. But the patella tendonitis is causing me the main grief.''
While it's early days the Pirates do appear light-on for options in the halves, especially if Worboys is sidelined.
"Zac Butler did his knee playing cricket and 'Tonga' (Issac Worboys) is still recovering from the ACL surgery,'' Worboys said.
"Kurt (Lewis) is playing in Newcastle this year.''
Keiran Cochrane has trained strongly in the halves while Worboys said the Pirates still looking to recruit players.
He added the Pirates will lose up to eight players from last season's premiership winning side, but he's confident they'll still field a formidable squad. He said there were some promising signs against the strong Central Newcastle squad.
"Both sides fielded their best sides for the opening 40 minutes and they led 12-6 at halftime. We haven't done any ball work at training yet, so that was a good effort,'' he said.
The Pirates gave lower grade players a chance in the second half.
Jarrad Wooster was strong in the middle for Old Bar while their match-winning outside backs looked good when given the opportunity.
"It was a good effort for our first hit out of the season,'' Worboys said.
Trial tribulations
ORGANISING further trials before the start of the Group Three season-proper is causing the Pirates some headaches.
"We had planned to play Sawtell on April 6 so but we'll have to rescheduled that because the group's season launch is on that night and the clubs have been told not to play trials,'' Worboys said.
"We're coming into Easter soon, then there's the season launch the following week and the Indigenous All Stars game the week after.
"That leaves the week before the season kicks off an no-one wants to play a trial then. It's pretty difficult.''
Day gets bigger
THE annual Joel Dark Memorial Day, conducted by Old Bar for the trial against Central Newcastle, is getting bigger each year, Worboys said.
A masters match was added to the program this year and it was described as Worboys as 'awesome.' It will become a permanent fixture,
"Central's looking at bringing an under 18s and some junior sides next year,'' Worboys said.
"They're talking about staying for the weekend.''
Players from both sides purchased their jumpers at an auction held that night at Club Old Bar. All proceeds were then donated to the Westpac Helicopter Service.
There was a strong spectator turnout for the day - the crowd said to be bigger than last season's Group Three preliminary final played at Old Bar.
