Injury Continues To Frustrate P.J
Marsh

It remains unclear when New Zealand Warriors hooker PJ Marsh will be ready to play rugby league again.

Marsh must wait at least another week to find out the extent of a neck ligament tear he suffered against Parramatta on June 14.

Doctors are hoping swelling will have reduced sufficiently by then for a further set of X-rays and scans to show more detail of the injury.

They believe there is no bone fracture, no spinal chord damage and no nerve root damage.

But Marsh could not complete physical tests aimed at setting a repair procedure as he was protecting the neck because of pain.

He is extremely disappointed, but remains positive.

"There's an outside chance it will come right. I'm trying not to look too far down the track," Marsh said.

Surgery is one of several options, but the probability and extent of that remain a question mark.

Marsh is limited to some weights work and riding on the exercise bike.

He has removed the neck brace he wore for a week but uses it occasionally for comfort.

He is relieved there is some return of neck motion.

"It's stiff, more of an ache than being really sore... I have to keep changing position."

Marsh, 23, secured State of Origin selection for Queensland last season, cemented his position with good National Rugby League form this year, and was expected to hold it through the present series.

He is still pained by what he considered an unworthy performance in the opening match of this year's Origin series and is keen to show he much more valuable than that.

"I want to get back out there now and show what I can do, show I can play better than that."

He will remain in Auckland with partner Kelly regardless of the outcome and the length of his time out of the game.

"I'll do what training I can, I don't want to lose everything."