RULING out any chance of a playing comeback this year, injured Cootamundra captain-coach Warren Lloyd is keeping faith in the battling Bulldogs.
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Lloyd severely tore the pectoral muscle in Cootamundra’s opening trial game in March and has not played since.
Despite a favourable response from the initial round of physiotherapy, Lloyd has reluctantly shut the door on the prospect of a return to football in 2017.
“The second lot of physio didn’t go as well, and I can’t see me playing this year,” Lloyd said on Tuesday.
“I’ve got to be smart about it.
“The risk (of damage) would be too much.”
Left with no alternative, Lloyd will stay in a non-playing role for the remainder of the season.
Amid his personal gloom, Lloyd has retained a belief in a team struggling near the bottom of the table.
After seven rounds, Cootamundra is in 10th position, with their result an 18-all draw with Tumbarumba on April 9.
Ahead of a confronting clash with Young at Alfred Oval on Saturday, Lloyd is adamant the Bulldogs are far from a lost cause.
“Each week we go out thinking we’re not going to lose,” Lloyd said.
“Everyone is still very positive.”
Fresh from the bye last weekend, Cootamundra has not played since losing 38-14 to Tumut at Les Boyd Oval on May 14.
For Lloyd, the result against Blues was a sizeable step forward from a 62-6 battering from Albury the previous week.
“There were certainly positive signs (against Tumut),” he said.
“A bit of luck would help.
“We could really do with the bounce of the ball to go our way a bit more.”
Sitting out the season is a tough call for Lloyd, who left Kangaroos last year to become the spearhead of a Cootamundra pack lacking “size”.
The Bulldogs coach understands the situation.
“We can stick with teams for 60 minutes, but they tend to wear us down,” Lloyd said.
“It’s hard to just keep stopping the big boys.”
Lloyd is aware there will be no respite against the Cherrypickers, who stunned unbeaten Tumut 30-26 at the hills last Sunday.
Even without suspended star prop Aaron Slater, Young will boast a powerful pack, including rampaging Kyle Richens.
However, Lloyd said the Bulldogs were ready for whatever Young would throw at them.
“We’ve prepared well,” he said.
“Last week we had a tough (training) session on Tuesday and a session on Friday.
“We also had club night with a ball on Saturday night.
“We’ll have another hard session tonight (Tuesday) and lighter session on Friday because we’re playing on Saturday.”
