PJ comes back

Almost two years since his career looked to have come to an end PJ Marsh will return to rugby league in a trial game for the Parramatta Eels on February 5.

Marsh was joined by six other new Eels signings today to be named in a Parramatta squad to tackle the Sharks at Lismore.

It will be Marsh's first game for the Eels in three years, and his first since he seriously fractured his vertebrae in a tackle against the Eels in June 2003 when he was playing for the New Zealand Warriors.

Marsh was initially told the injury had ended his career, after his first operation and three months in a neck brace failed.

But after another operation Marsh has been granted full clearance to play by three doctors and has already survived tackling and wrestling drills with his team mates.

Eels coach Brian Smith is eager to see how the gifted 24-year-old will slot back into the rigours of regular football.

He will start Marsh at halfback, but said the superb dummy-half runner is likely to get time at five-eighth and perhaps in the hooking role he once filled for the Queensland origin side.

"We want to look at PJ and young Tim Smith in the halfback position so PJ will have a run there and perhaps five-eighth during the game," said Smith.

"Sorting out our key positions is really vital this time around.

"Everybody gets a bit hoary.

"We have got most of our top line players to run out in this game and included quite a few new blokes," said Smith.

"That's the biggest thing, this year (trials) is not necessarily run the rust out.

"We have got so many new players blending together we have to work out together what is necessary to get the team to function well."