The Newcastle Knights welcomed back Origin star Beau Scott on Thursday after an outstanding series opening performance at ANZ Stadium.
Wednesday night’s blockbuster match was the enforcer’s ninth Origin appearance after playing a role in the Blue’s 2014 series success.
In a triumph for Knights and NSW supporters alike, Scott powered over the line in the first half, unable to be haltered by two Maroons defenders, to score his first Origin try.
“It would have been a bit sweeter if we came away with the victory, but it’s always nice to get a try on the big stage like that,” he told Knights TV on his return to Knights HQ.
“The first 40 minutes were positive, but the first 20 minutes in the second half, we let ourselves down a bit.
“I thought the effort was great from the boys and gives us something to build on coming into game two.”
Perhaps the most important question for any Knights supporters centres around Scott's availability for Sunday's match against the New Zealand Warriors.
While he won't travel with the team on Friday, the plan is to travel with the other two grades on Saturday to allow for an extra day to assess his recovery.
“I’m going okay, I’ll guess I’ll just play it by ear the next couple of days and see how I go on the weekend,” he said
“Some say the closer the (turnaround) game the better and some people like it the other way around.
“There’s always a big build up to an Origin, just to get over that hype and the intensity of the game is probably the major factor than the muscle soreness itself."
While in camp with the Blues, Scott watched his Knights teammates take on the Brisbane Broncos on Monday night.
“We started the game really well I thought and just couldn’t stick to what was working for us,” he assessed.
“It was disappointing sitting in Sydney watching it and the boys are obviously disappointed with the result.
“The best thing about it is we have this weekend to turn it around and get back in the winner’s circle.
“The Warriors is a tough trip with the time difference and the weather difference.
“They are big boppers over there as well so it’s going to be a tough challenge for us.”
Meanwhile, Jeremy Smith has been ruled out due to a sternum injury.
The Knights travel to New Zealand on Friday and are holding an OPEN TRAINING SESSION on Saturday afternoon.
