Australia suffer blow as Price ruled out of final
Friday, 21 Nov 2008 09:13
Veteran Australian prop Steve Price ruled out of rugby league World Cup final
Veteran Australian prop Steve Price has been ruled out of the rugby league World Cup final against New Zealand on Saturday.
The 33-year-old was named in the initial squad for the game but pulled up during a training session on Friday.
Medical examinations subsequently showed that the prop had torn his left calf muscle and Australia took the decision to withdraw him from the team.
No replacement has been confirmed yet, but Brent Kite is expected to be promoted from the bench for tomorrow's final.
Winger Brent Tate has also been ruled out with a hip injury.
New Zealand, on the other hand, have named the same line-up that beat England 32-22 in their semi-final match last week.
Australia are hoping to win their tenth World Cup, while New Zealand are seeking their first.