THE Newcastle Knights received welcome news on Monday when forwards Jacob Saifiti and Jed Cartwright and winger Greg Marzhew were cleared of long-term injuries.
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Saifiti and Cartwright limped off the field during Sunday's 18-14 win against the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium and were unable to return, while Marzhew was clearly hobbling towards the end of the game.
There were fears that NSW Origin representative Saifiti may have torn his Achilles, in which case he would potentially have required season-ending surgery.
But Knights football director Peter Parr said scans had confirmed Saifiti's Achilles was "intact".
"He does have a small tear in his foot, but it should be a short-term injury," Parr said.
"We'll assess him later in the week. He might miss one game but I'll leave that to our medical staff."
Parr said Cartwright had rolled his ankle but was also unlikely to miss many games, while Mazhew was suffering from cramp and is expected to be cleared for Sunday's clash with the Warriors at McDonald Jones Stadium.
If Saifiti and Cartwright are ruled out this weekend, Newcastle have a ready-made replacement for their engine-room rotation in Jack Hetherington, who missed the clash with the Dolphins through suspension. Mat Croker will also be hoping for a top-grade recall, after helping Newcastle to a 34-12 win against South Sydney in NSW Cup at the weekend.
Meanwhile, Parr revealed he has already been discussing a contract extension for fullback David Armstrong, who enjoyed a dream NRL debut against the Dolphins.
The elusive 23-year-old, who scored a try, carried the ball 189 metres in attack and made some crucial tackles, is unsigned beyond the end of this season.
But the negotiation process has been delayed because Armstrong has changed agents.
"We are keen to re-sign Davey, but that's just taking a bit of time because of his management situation," Parr said.
"That's now been finalised, so we have clarity on who we're dealing with in terms of trying to get him re-signed."
Armstrong certainly created an outstanding first impression, and he should have the best part of half a season to consolidate while skipper Kalyn Ponga recovers from surgery to repair a ruptured foot ligament.
While the Mungindi Grasshoppers junior was a constant threat to the Dolphins with his speed and evasive skills, his performance is also likely to have attracted the attention of rival coaches.
His next challenge will be to back up his dazzling debut with week-in, week-out performances.
