Cousins not ruled out, says skipper Newman
richmondfc.com.au
By Michael Rogers 5:15 PM Tue 28 April, 2009
RICHMOND skipper Chris Newman hasn't ruled out a return for Ben Cousins against the Sydney Swans at the SCG on Sunday.
But Newman conceded that the 31-year-old was a doubtful starter as he was yet to train with the main group after tearing his hamstring in the season opener against Carlton.
"If that's any indication, you'd think that he probably wouldn't [play on Sunday] but you never know. I'm not too sure which way the match committee will go, but I'd say that he'd be doubtful," Newman said on Tuesday.
"Ben's doing everything in his power to get back to playing football and he just has to get through this week.
"Whether he has to come back with Coburg or if he has to sit out another week, there's certainly no rush with Ben. He needs to get his body right, first and foremost."
While Cousins' immediate playing future was uncertain, Newman said Matthew Richardson was a good chance of making the trip to Sydney after a favourable report on his injured gluteal muscle.
Richardson's good news has continued a positive week at Tigerland after the club scored its first win of the season against North Melbourne last weekend.
But Newman said the club was wary of reading too much into one victory after a disappointing opening month of football that brought coach Terry Wallace's job under heavy media scrutiny.
He refuted a suggestion that the club had failed to cope with heightened expectations after Cousins' arrival during the off-season, describing it as a "cop-out".
"If that's going to affect the way we're playing football, then we're going about it the wrong way," he said.
"There was added pressure but … if we're going to play finals football in the future, we're going to need to handle that pressure and just concentrate on the game."
Newman said the external scrutiny hadn't affected Wallace as he prepared the squad during its four-game losing streak.
"There's hasn't been too much change in Terry. He's been first-class with the way he's handled himself and he's been a real example, puffing the chest out and getting on with his job," he said.
"He hasn't let it show externally at all, so I think he's handled himself remarkably well.
"Throughout the course of the month that we did cop it, the players' morale was really good and we stuck together really well."
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