Parsons back - but Woolnough
starts

Knightly News - 10/3/2004

Knights forward Adam Woolnough will start at prop on Friday night against Penrith, despite the return of veteran Matt Parsons.

Instead, the 30-year-old Parsons will be used in an impact role from the bench against the defending premiers.

Knights? coach Michael Hagan said he hoped to get ?30 or 40 minutes? from Parsons this week, before reassessing the 200 centimetre giant during next week.

?Matt?s injury hasn?t allowed him to play any football and get some of the work done in the last week or two, but he?s pretty confident he?ll be O.K,? Hagan said.

Parsons said he was still not feeling 100 percent, but that he was confident his injury wouldn?t be an issue.

"I'll be right to play," Parsons said yesterday.

"I'm very happy about it. I can concentrate on getting myself ready.

"I have been training with the splint on it for the last week or so and it's been feeling pretty good."

Parsons did not play in any of the Knights? pre-season trials after dislocating a finger last month.

His replacement in the starting side, Adam Woolnough, spent much of the 2003 season on the Knights? long injury-list, but gets his chance after an impressive performance in the trial against the Cowboys in Mackay.

The 22 year old front-rower, since debuting in 2002, has established himself as a regular bench player, capable of playing anywhere in the forward pack.

Woolnough starts the match alongside representative prop Josh Perry who has also caught the eye of Hagan.

Hagan said he was ?very happy? with how both props had played in recent trials.

Meanwhile, lock Ben Kennedy won?t be ruled out until Friday morning, as he battles an ankle injury.

Kennedy ran freely at yesterday?s training session, but is still not certainty to be fit.

Todd Lowrie continues to train with the first grade squad to cover for Kennedy, and bench forward Andrew Price who is still hopeful of shaking off a hamstring injury.