Lockyer ruled out for two months
By Wayne Heming of AAP with Dean Ritchie
November 8, 2005
AUSTRALIA captain Darren Lockyer will not play again in the Tri-Nations rugby league series after being diagnosed with a broken bone in a foot.
Lockyer will be out of action for two to three months after sustaining the injury in training in Paris last night (AEDT).
He slipped and fell during a game of touch football towards the end of the session at the Surenes rugby union club on the eastern outskirts of the French capital.
Lockyer screamed with pain as he went to the ground.
An MRI scan later confirmed the broken bone.
"I just changed direction at training when running - there wasn't any contact with another player," Lockyer told The Daily Telegraph. Hooker Danny Buderus apprears certain to assume the captaincy while Trent Barrett is the logical replacement at five-eighth.
Forward Nathan Hindmarsh meanwhile confirmed late last night that he would miss the Test against France after aggravating his knee injury during the session.
He appeared from the hotel elevator in a knee brace, saying: "I don't know what's going on just yet with the injury but it's certainly been better."
Asked would he return home, Hindmarsh said: "It looks that way."
Hindmarsh was also training when his knee gave way.
The Parramatta forward, who has has not played since damaging the knee in the late stages of the NRL season, was ready to return against France in Perpignan this weekend.
Ben Creagh and Andrew Ryan will now fight over the second-row position vacated by Hindmarsh for the Test against France.
Lockyer was going to be rested from the match against France.
He finally returned to the Kangaroos' hotel near Champs-Elysees last night on crutches.
Lockyer sat in the hotel foyer text messaging his shattering news to friends at home.
The injury means Bennett has to decide whether to give Scott Prince another run at halfback inside Barrett, or to have a look at a Craig Gower-Barrett combination with the Penrith halfback likely to get a chance to push his claims.
It's unknown whether replacements will join the squad to replace Lockyer and Hindmarsh.
The Daily Telegraph[/b]
