Posted By Staff Reporter
Cowboys hooker..James Segeyaro IF James Segeyaro fills the massive shoes of Aaron Payne on Friday night, he'll do it with a heavy heart. Segeyaro is set to be launched into the starting No. 9 role for Friday's semi-final against the Manly Sea Eagles after Payne injured his knee during the Cowboys 33-16 win over the Brisbane Broncos. "It's just such a pleasure playing with Payney, he stands for what the North Queensland Cowboys are about," Segeyaro said. "It will be shame if he can't make it, but hopefully we'll put our best foot forward and get one step closer to the grand final. "Hopefully he will have recovered by then and he gets the send-off he deserves." The opportunity to shine again on the finals stage would be an amazing feat for Segeyaro, who made his comeback just three weeks ago following a 12-week injury lay-off. Signed to the Penrith Panthers next year, Segeyaro has enjoyed a stellar run of form in his last two NRL appearances and will add plenty spark against an under-strength Sea Eagles outfit. Segeyaro started at hooker in North Queensland's 42-8 loss to the Sea Eagles in last year's first-round finals game, and is preparing as if he'll again take his place in the starting 13. "Last year we got pretty towelled up, so we're looking to prove a point," he said. Adding to Segeyaro's impending challenge is the fact he'll face off against respected Manly rake Matt Ballin. "He's one of the best hookers in the competition," Segeyaro said. "He's consistent every week and he's an 80-minute player, so it'll be good competition for me especially with it being semi-finals footy." Townsville Bulletin Comments are closed.
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