Filipaina distraught

Press, 7 June 1983, Page 40

Filipaina distraught

NZPA Sydney The bollocking rugby league centre, Olsen Fili--paina, was yesterday distraught that a broken ankle has robbed him of his place in the New Zealand test side to meet Australia in Auckland next Sunday. The injury will keep him out of the game until almost the end of the season, and came as he returned to the bruising form that made him a certain choice for centre in the Kiwi test team.

“I’m feeling really low about it,” he said yesterday. “I've taken a couple of painkillers for the ankle, but it doesn’t stop the disappointment about missing the test.”

Filipaina was carried from the field only 10 minutes into Sunday’s clash between his club, Balmain, and South Sydney. “It happened in a tackle,” he said. “One of them took me around the legs and then two more came over the tO P-

“The leg stayed where it was and I went backwards. I heard my ankle click and I knew it was broken. I don’t think anyone was trying to take me out of next week’s test, it’s probably just one of those things.” The injury came as Filipaina had thrown off another injury cloud, and selection for the New Zealand side had given his game a boost. “I’ve had the cartilage taken out of my left knee, and then chipped the bone, and that chip’s been floating around in there,” he said. His play has improved dramatically over the last few weeks, and the previous week-end Filipaina had turned on a powerhouse display that was the talk of Sydney rugby league.