KEY POINTS:
The reason the Storm lost so badly in the NRL grand final is now revealed - their two starting props were running on injured legs.
The Kiwis lost Jeff Lima from their squad for the World Cup yesterday and his Melbourne frontrow partner Brett White withdrew from the Ireland squad, both ruled out by medics because of injuries they have played on with at the back end of the season.
And Leeds fullback Brent Webb won't be travelling to join the Kiwis either.
Further investigation of the back injury that kept him out of the Super League grand final last weekend has revealed he requires spinal surgery that will put him out of the game for six months.
Dragons wing/fullback Jason Nightingale, who debuted in May, was called up yesterday to replace Webb.
The loss of the pair takes significant firepower out of the squad. Without Lima as well as Roy Asotasi the go-forward will suffer.
And what a pity Sonny Bill Williams and Frank Pritchard are missing too - those three prop forwards have been equal to any in rugby league this season and likewise Webb at fullback.
The Kiwis' options at starting prop are Sam Rapira and Evarn Tuimavave from the Warriors or the Storm's Adam Blair, all three interchange men for their club.
The selectors may elect to go for an older hand like South's backrowers David Fa'alogo or David Kidwell for the mistake-free cart-up required early in each half.
Lima was scratched yesterday when what was supposed to be a routine arthroscope on a knee injury he had been carrying for some weeks revealed more serious damage that requires immediate surgery.
He is out of action for eight weeks. Tuimavave is called into the side after being part of the squad that prepared for the Anzac test but the 25-year-old yet to make his international debut.
"Lima had an arthroscope on his troublesome knee on Tuesday to clean out the joint he injured leading into the finals series," Storm high performance manager Mary Toomey said.
"Unfortunately, this showed more significant damage than had been indicated on his MRI scan and he will have further surgery in approximately 10 days to repair this."
"Brett has been troubled by persistent inflammation and soreness affecting the joints at the base of both big toes over the last few weeks," Toomey said. "He managed to get through games with medical and physio help, but now needs surgery."
It was Leeds head physiotherapist Meirion Jones who announced the bad news on Webb's behalf.
"Brent has had microdiscectomy on acute disc herniation," he said. It is hoped that the surgery will clear up Brent's current symptoms. However, the key will be a sustained period of five to six months rehabilitation to complement the surgery to get Brent back to full fitness."
Options are Lance Hohaia, who filled in most of the season for the injured Wade McKinnon at the Warriors, Sam Perrett or Krisnan Inu who played fullback for New Zealand last year, or Jason Nightingale. Inu lacks form, Nightingale is a better wing, while Perrett played plenty of fullback for the Roosters and shapes as best option in number one, allowing Hohaia to make impact off the interchange.
England coach Tony Smith has declared he has selected players with speed to take advantage of Australia's hard and fast tracks. Smith has just four specialist props in his 24-man squad, with eight backrowers.
"I think we have a fast team with some electric players both in the forwards and the backs. Speed and mobility are two of the things that can trouble any team," the Aussie-raised Smith said. The 15 players who appeared in the grand final have been left out of the side that will play Wales this weekend in a Cup warm-up.
The Australians look sure to lose backrower Michael Crocker, x-rays revealing a broken rib. His replacement is likely to be Bronco Sam Thaiday. However, there was speculation yesterday that Anthony Tupou, who had agreed to play for Tonga after missing out on the Kangaroos, was stalling in the hope of a recall to the green and gold he wore in May.
The Ponsonby Rugby League Club marks its centenary with a dinner at Alexandra Park on Saturday and games and festivities at its old home ground Victoria Park on Sunday.
The All Golds to play the Maori in New Plymouth on Sunday, including Stacey Jones, Ruben Wiki and Logan Swann, playing in New Zealand for the last time, will hold a skills session and barbecue for the Taranaki locals at Yarrow Stadium tomorrow.
