KEY POINTS:
GOLD COAST - The Kiwis have suffered another World Cup rugby league injury blow, with young forward Sika Manu ruled out for the remainder of the tournament with a fractured eye socket.
Kiwis team doctor Simon Mayhew said the Melbourne Storm second-rower took a heavy blow to his right eye during Sunday's 6-30 loss to Australia in Sydney.
A precautionary x-ray yesterday showed an undisplaced fracture, which wasn't considered serious, but the risk of further damage if he played on was enough to rule him out for at least a month.
"It's good in that it's not displaced, but should he take further heavy contact on that eye or even if he coughed heavily he may well displace that fracture and then he's got real problems," Mayhew said at training at Carrara today.
"Clearly the injury has got to heal and the time frame for that is 4-8 weeks. At this stage it doesn't appear that he needs surgery.
"He's unfit to play for the rest of the tournament but he should make a good recovery."
Mayhew said if Manu, 21, took another hit to the eye he might require surgery, then his sight could be threatened.
It was cruel blow for the former Upper Hutt junior who scored the Kiwis' only try in just his second test on Sunday, on the back of a powerful National Rugby League season.
Manu's place in the starting side for Saturday's pool match against Papua New Guinea was taken by Roosters utility Setaimata Sa when coach Stephen Kearney named his side last night.
Manu's injury reduces the Kiwis to 23 players in their squad, with no replacements permitted once the tournament is under way.
He was the fourth player from the original squad to be ruled out, along with fullback Brent Webb (back), prop Jeff Lima (knee) and centre Iosia Soliola (shoulder).
Utility Jason Nightingale, prop Evarn Tuimavave and second rower Bronson Harrison replaced that trio before the tournament began.
Frontliners Roy Asotasi and Frank Pritchard were both ruled out with injury before the squad were named.
- NZPA
