WHEN he checked into hospital a few days before the first pre-season trial, Robbie Rochow feared his chances of making Newcastle’s NRL squad for opening night were dashed.
The 21-year-old East Maitland Griffins junior, who is back at the Knights this season after three years at Melbourne, had worked tirelessly at summer strength and conditioning training but he was dogged by a left knee injury that needed clean-up surgery.
Though he was desperate to play in all the trials and try to impress coach Wayne Bennett, Rochow had an arthroscopic procedure to remove floating bone chips.
That was less than three weeks ago but he was pain-free two days later and knew he had made the right decision.
Still, Rochow missed a lower-grade hit-out against the Newcastle Rugby League representative squad two weeks ago and the 18-all draw with Penrith at Port Macquarie last Saturday and was worried he had conceded too much ground to his fellow forwards.
Convinced he would have to play in the NSW Cup side against Western Suburbs at Dora Creek on Sunday, Rochow was pleasantly surprised to learn yesterday that he had been included in the 22-man Knights squad to play Cronulla at Olympic Park in Muswellbrook on Saturday night.
‘‘It’s been great ever since I got it done,’’ Rochow said.
‘‘Even in a couple of days I was walking and I knew it was better straight away, so I was pretty confident I’d be right for the last trial.
‘‘I’m very happy to be in the squad to go to Muswellbrook, because I didn’t think that would happen. I was always 100per cent sure I could play in this last trial but I didn’t know if I’d be in the squad for Muswellbrook.
‘‘I’m just stoked to get a bit of game time before the season starts to test out my fitness. I always knew that playing NSW Cup was a possibility, because he was cutting the squad back from Port Macquarie, but I put in a pretty long pre-season and I haven’t missed too much, so I was hoping I could get to play in at least one trial.’’
Rochow played juniors for the Knights and first grade for Kurri Kurri then moved to Melbourne in 2009 and played in the Storm’s National Youth Cup premiership-winning team that year.
He spent the past two years at the Storm and played one NRL game in each season but could not secure a new deal in Melbourne, so he signed a one-year contract with the Knights.
Competing with other ‘‘middle’’ men Kade Snowden, Evarn Tuimavave, Richie Fa’aoso, Neville Costigan and Joel Edwards, Rochow will need to be at his best against the Sharks to earn a spot in the 17 for the season-opener against the Dragons at Hunter Stadium in a fortnight.
‘‘It would be ideal to make that squad,’’ he said.
‘‘It will be a hard task at the moment but that’s the goal, to make the squad early on in the season and hopefully hold it. But I’ve just got to worry about playing well this weekend.’’
Another Hunter Valley junior new to the Knights, Aberdeen Tigers product Alex McKinnon, was included in the squad to take on the Sharks after impressing the coaching staff against the Panthers and the Newcastle Rugby League rep side.
NSW and Australian winger Aku Uate will make his first appearance for the year.
Uate had minor knee surgery last November and was rested from the game against Penrith.
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