STAND-IN St George Illawarra skipper Tyson Frizell said the fact he knew he had a Test jumper waiting for him was not a distraction in Sunday’s loss to Melbourne in which he captained the club for the first time in his 100th NRL game.
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Frizell retained his place in Mal Meninga’s 17 that lifted the Four Nations trophy last November alongside Josh Dugan, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk who all ran around on Sunday.
New Zealand held off naming their side, that featured Dragons players Jason Nightingale and Russell Packer, until the conclusion of round nine but Frizell said being named just a day after the club’s Anzac Day game was not a worry.
“No not at all” Frizell said when asked if it was a factor.
“Having a short turnaround takes it out of whack a bit and you don’t really think about it too much. We had a big game [against Melbourne] and that was my main focus. It’s the same for anyone, getting picked early, it’s something you don’t really think about at all.”