My luck must change: Heenan

c/o Rugby Heaven
Thursday, January 25, 2007

Injury-plagued Wallaby back rower Daniel Heenan is hoping for a long-overdue change of luck and won't be rushing his comeback from a second shoulder reconstruction.

Heenan could be forgiven for avoiding black cats,ladders and chinamen between now and September's World Cup given his horrendous injury run.

Shoulder problems apart, hapless Heenan has been sidelined by an ankle reconstruction, a broken foot and stress fractures in his back.

The Brumbies forward has targeted the round three Super 14 match against his former team Queensland as a potential return date.

"Fitness-wise, I'm probably not right for the start of the Super 14," Heenan said.

"I'll probably miss the first couple of games and then it's sort of a week-to-week proposition I suppose and see how it pulls up.

"(I'm) increasing training loads, not coming back underdone, and making sure everything is right before I get back on the field

"I suppose I am on schedule, but this is the time of year when you don't want to rush anything, especially with me.

"I've had a few injuries in the past so I don't want to leave any stone unturned and I won't be coming back until I'm confident and my body is right.

"Probably the worst thing about this year is I can't really afford to make a wrong turn with this shoulder because it's two reconstructions later."

Heenan didn't want to dwell on what he would do if he re-injured his shoulder.

"I'll reassess at the end if anything unlucky happens, well see what happens then. I've got the motivation there at the moment," Heenan said.

Championed by former Wallabies captain John Eales, Heenan was earmarked for senior honours when he was selected for Australia A after just one Super 12 game.

However the 25-year-old played just 23 Super games in four seasons with Queensland before switching to the Brumbies last year.

It appeared his luck had finally changed for the better last year when for the first time he played in every round.

His consistent form was rewarded with a starting spot in the Wallabies side for their first Test of last year, but he suffered a shoulder injury in the game which forced him to undergo a second reconstruction.

"Things were going along quite well but injuries always seem to pop up," Heenan said.

"Things were travelling along nicely and I'd like to get back to that stage and move along that same path where injuries are out of the way this time."

A blindside flanker who can play lock, Heenan would like to play in the back row.

But blocking his way to the Wallabies' number six shirt is NSW forward Rocky Elsom, who cemented the blindside flanker spot in the Test team last year with a series of barnstorming displays.

"Rocky played there well last year and he's right at the forefront and he's the standard at this stage," Heenan said.

"But that's just the way rugby is, you've got to be putting pressure on everyone... his spot isn't secure.

AAP