Play and you may pay.
Wests Tigers players acknowledge Cronulla will target Robbie Farah’s injured leg if the veteran hooker pulls off a minor miracle and suits up for the winner-take-all top eight shoot-out at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday.
Farah ran freely at training on Wednesday and remains on track to make it back less than a month after fracturing a bone in his leg.
A desperate Cronulla will no doubt target the retiring No.9 in what will be his farewell to Leichhardt and, possibly, the game.
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Asked if he believed Sharks skipper Paul Gallen would lead a concerted attack on Farah, Reynolds jokingly replied: “There’s your headline – Josh Reynolds says Gal’s an animal.
“You know what? It’s going to be tested and ‘Faf’ (Farah) knows that…whether Gal does it or anyone else does it.
“People would like to think that doesn’t happen in the game but if it’s going to help win, it’s going to help win.
“But I know Faf’s going to be ready. He could break another bone in that leg but he’ll still be out there ‘til the end.”
Tigers players were stunned to see Farah run without inconvenience at training on Wednesday morning and were preparing to take it up a notch with a team wrestling session later that afternoon.
A call on his availability could be made on Thursday.
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But fellow veteran Benji Marshall admits training will be no substitution for what Farah will potentially face on Sunday.
“If someone’s coming off injury then I’m sure they’ll make him make a lot of tackles through the middle and test out if he really is fit enough,” Marshall said.
“But I was quite surprised with the way he moved today. He didn’t look like he was in that much pain.
“We are preparing as if he won’t play and take it as a bonus if he does.”
The Tigers will reach the finals for the first time since 2011 if they overcome the Sharks in front of a sold-out Leichhardt Oval crowd.