Injuries mar NRL trial weekend

It was a mixed weekend for a number of NRL teams as the likes of South Sydney and Newcastle were dealt several injury blows ahead of the opening round of the new season.

This followed a round of trial games that also saw a handful of youngsters bolster their cases for involvement in round one of the new campaign.

While there were plenty of minor knocks and bruises, there were a number of relatively serious injuries that could have consequences come the start of the season.

The most serious injury of the weekend came during the NRL All Stars clash. South Sydney back-rower Kyle Turner was transferred to hospital with a neck injury which he sustained after being hit hard in a tackle by Cronulla captain Paul Gallen. While Turner was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital as a precaution,it remains to be seen just how severe the injury is. Gallen, meanwhile, was cleared of any misconduct by the NRL match review panel and the Cronulla skipper won't face any further punishment for the tackle.

Elsewhere, South Sydney second row Chris Grevsmuhl strengthened his case for an NRL debut after scoring the winning try for the Indigenous All Stars. Following almost a year on the sidelines after undergoing two operations on his fractured ankle, South Sydney forward Glenn Stewart continued his return to full fitness by playing 40 minutes of his side's 20-20 draw against Northern Pride. The former Manly star could now be set to make his long-awaited competitive debut for Sydney, who are around 5/1 with the bookmakers for this year's Grand Final at the time of writing. After suffering his injury in round eight of last season, Stewart will be hoping to appear for the Rabbitohs in their World Club Challenge clash against St Helens in England. South's head coach Michael Maguire will be delighted to have the experienced back-rower in the squad ahead of the new season. Stewart will also be looking to prove Manly made the wrong decision tolet him leave at the end of last year.

While the Newcastle Knights continued their build-up to the new season with comprehensive victories over Port Macquarie Sharks and Wauchope Blues, the club have been left counting the cost following the news that Jalean Feeney looks to have suffered a broken arm. Meanwhile, Pat Mata'utia was forced from the field with what looks like a broken leg. But it wasn't all bad news for the Knights, with young speedster Jake Mamo enhancing calls for his inclusion for round one after grabbing a pair of tries and setting up another.

Elsewhere, Penrith winger Robert Jennings went some way to moving out of the shadow of brother Michael by grabbing his side's only try in their 18-4 defeat against the New Zealand Warriors. With Jamal Idris and Josh Mansour both recovering from off-season operations, Jennings could now be in line to start the season in the Panthers first team. The rookie has long been tipped to make a similar impression in the NRL as his older brother, and his impressive pre-season form has done his case for a starting spot no harm at all.