Injury forces Trent Merrin out of Kangaroos reckoning

For the second straight year Dragons lock Trent Merrin’s hopes of a maiden Test jersey have been cruelled by injury with the NSW representative to miss the end of season Four Nations tournament with a shoulder complaint initially suffered playing for NSW in Origin III.

Merrin’s withdrawal adds to a growing Kangaroos injury crisis with Dragons teammates Brett Morris (shoulder) and Josh Dugan (thumb) also ruled out of the tournament after initially being named in coach Tim Sheens’s train-on squad.

Merrin was in strong contention to earn his first call up to national duty with Australian regulars and star ‘‘middles’’ Paul Gallen (suspension) and Nate Myles (injury) both unavailable for the tournament. 

Merrin, the 2013 Dragons Player of the Year, was in line for Test call-up last year before an untimely knee injury ended his season.

Testament to his courage for playing through the Dragons’ season with the shoulder injury lingering from the Blues’ breakthrough Origin series victory, Merrin is expected to be sidelined for three months and won’t resume full duties until January following surgery this week.

The Blues’ campaign has also taken a long-term toll on Morris who entered NSW folklore with his last ditch tackle on Darius Boyd to seal victory in Origin I after fracturing his shoulder earlier in the match.

Dugan also shot into the Test selection frame following a successful mid-season switch from fullback to the centres that saw him represent the Blues after just two games in the No.4 jersey.

Scans following the Dragons round 26 loss to the Knights revealed that the 24-year-old suffered a fracture in his thumb which will remain in a splint for the next four weeks ruling him out of the tournament. 

The Dragons big names add considerable weight to a casualty ward that also includes superstar Melbourne fullback Billy Slater and Broncos trio Justin Hodges, Matt Gillett and Dale Copley who were also ruled out with injury on Monday.

Johnathan Thurston, James Tamou and Matt Scott are among five North Queensland players named to join the squad after being knocked out of the NRL finals series.

Selectors have also called in four Manly players – Anthony Watmough, Brett Stewart, Daly Cherry-Evans and Brenton Lawrence.