AAP | 04/07/08 | 0
NSW skipper Danny Buderus has become the latest State of Origin casualty and could miss four NRL games for Newcastle with a fracture just below his knee.
Buderus has injured the tibial plateau below the knee, ruling him out of tomorrow's EnergyAustralia clash with St George Illawarra and between one and three more games.
"It could be two, it could be three, it could be four," Knights coach Brian Smith told AAP tonight.
"It's probably more to do with a stress-type fracture rather than a break."
Smith is already without Blues prop Ben Cross (knee and thumb) for six weeks after Origin III and is growing frustrated at the affect the series has had on his club.
The coach said he presumed Buderus' injury was due to overuse.
"Some clubs just get dealt way more tough cards than others this time of the year," he said.
"It's like as if instead of fighting in their own weight division they've been allowed to drop down two levels and have a fight and others have gone up two weight divisions, so it's a very unequal period of the season."
Buderus' regular replacement Matt Hilder is unavailable with a broken thumb and half Scott Dureau has been named as a utility on the Knights' bench, but a final decision on the skipper's replacement won't be made until tomorrow.
The Dragons have their own problems with NSW representative centres Matt Cooper and Mark Gasnier both ruled out with injury.
Cooper has knee soreness from Wednesday's Origin loss while Gasnier has not overcome a back injury and club officials are adamant he won't be a late starter tomorrow.
Meanwhile, two of the old-stagers of the NRL will come face-to-face for the first time in seven years tomorrow when Newcastle's Adam MacDougall comes up against the Dragons' Wendell Sailor.
But given both are set to play on the right-hand side for their teams, there will be limited chances for the two former combatants to renew hostilities.
"Obviously we will cross paths at some stage during the night," MacDougall said.
"If he comes my way, I won't mind tackling him.
"It will be good to have someone out there a little older than me. There are not too many blokes older than me at the moment.
"We have a similar hairstyle, but hopefully I am a bit leaner than Wendell. He is carrying a bit more around the stomach."
Giant Newcastle winger Cooper Vuna is the man likely to confront Sailor, who is making his comeback from a fractured cheekbone, and the man known as `Mad Dog' says the young Kiwi should be ready for an ear bashing.
"If Dell is going all right, there is no doubt Coop will cop a verbal. Let's hope he is not going that well," MacDougall said.
Sailor and MacDougall, both 33, used to be one of the most entertaining head-to-head battles in league, squaring off as Queensland and NSW rivals as well as at club level for Brisbane and Newcastle.
While their on-field rivalry was fiery, their respect and friendship off the field was genuine.
MacDougall regretted Sailor's move to rugby union in 2002 but is happy the former Test star is back where he belongs.
"I'm not surprised he came back," MacDougall said.
"Wendell was a fish out of water. He was arguably the greatest winger in rugby league and went to a sport he had never played before."
Some clubs just get dealt way more tough cards than others this time of the year
Brian Smith, Newcastle coach
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