Penrith utility forward Scott Sorensen has been given the green light to play in Sunday night’s NRL grand final against the Melbourne Storm.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary confirmed on Saturday Sorensen had passed a fitness test after being sidelined with a hamstring injury.
The New Zealand international was named in the Panthers’ extended squad earlier this week after missing both of the club’s finals matches.
Cleary said Sorensen would come into Penrith’s first-choice 17.
“He’ll be playing. It’s awesome. Sorro’s been a big part of our team the last three years,” Cleary said at the Panthers’ final training session.
“He’s a real soldier in our team.
“Everyone was pretty bummed when he got injured a few weeks ago and it looked like that was the end for him this year.
“He was really devastated. To be able to work so hard and get back and for him to be able to make a contribution tomorrow is really good.
“Last week he definitely was [pushing to play] … if it was a round game throughout the year, you probably wouldn’t do it, but we definitely considered it.
“In the end it was just too big a risk, so we were always hoping we’d win the game and we’d be able to give him a chance this week.
“He has ticked every box.”
Matt Eisenhuth is expected to make way for Sorensen in the Panthers’ match-day squad.
Storm back Vaalepu to shine
The Storm’s Lazarus Vaalepu has only played six NRL matches. (AAP: Dan Himbrechts)
Storm coach Craig Bellamy said he was confident rookie forward Lazarus Vaalepu would rise to the occasion in the grand final.
Vaalepu will become the least experienced player in 30 years to feature in an NRL season decider with only six first-grade matches under his belt.
Bellamy named Vaalepu on his original team sheet before admitting later in the week he had not decided whether the 25-year-old or Joe Chan would come in for the suspended Nelson Asofa-Solomona.
But Vaalepu trained with the first-grade team in Saturday’s final session at Stadium Australia, with Chan opposite in the reserves.
“He’ll (Vaalepu) be in our team,” Bellamy said.
Bellamy added: “Since he’s played in the NRL, he’s gone back to Queensland Cup and really gone well.
“We need a ruck forward and he’s our next one because of what he’s been doing in Queensland Cup.”
Bellamy said Vaalepu would not be overawed by the occasion.
“At the end of the day, it’s what players play for, to play in a grand final,” he said.
AAP
