Veteran Eels and State of Origin forward Nathan Hindmarsh is set to urgently go under the knife before the start of the 2008 NRL season after a knee complaint concerned Eels officials during last weeks training.
Hindmarsh consulted Eels staff after hearing a click with his knee and the Parramatta training staff didn’t want to take any chances with their valuable forward and booked him in for an arthroscope immediately. “No big deal” the affable Hindmarsh said, playing his usual cheeky self. “Just a clean up, more than anything” he said.
To someone like Nathan Hindmarsh, a category 4 cyclone bearing down on Parramatta Stadium in his mind would be just a gusty wind. “She’ll be right mate, just a bit of wind” he would say.
In any case the Eels forward is set to be back for the first round of the NRL season, with coach Michael Hagan hinting he would rest Nathan Hindmarsh as long as possible to ensure a strong healing of the operation.
Hagan continues to focus his efforts on reducing the workrate of Hindmarsh for the NRL 2008 season, after continuing concerns last year the busy tackling machine is becoming too much like Craig Fitzgibbon and tiring himself out too much in defence, hence reducing his attacking power.