Mystery problem sidelines South Wagga captain and MCUE coach Jeremy Rowe

Rowe made just his second appearance of the season on Saturday when he lined up for South Wagga in second grade.

The experienced sportsman has been battling a mystery injury, or illness, that first arose when he was a late withdrawal for Mangoplah-Cookardinia United-Eastlakes' first semi-final back in September.

"I'm struggling with issues that range between hips, groin and core. It's a mystery at this point," Rowe said.

"I've been to a lot of different professionals and had a range of scans and tests. It's a difficult one when you don't really know what's wrong with you and can't really do anything about it."

Rowe has attempted to play twice in the last month but has clearly struggled.

A premiership skipper of South Wagga last season, Rowe has been the Blues' first choice keeper and opening batsman.

But the undefeated Blues may have to do it without him this year as Rowe cannot see a return any time soon.

"The realist part of me is sitting here going right now I feel that far away from playing a game at full pace that I just can't see myself coming back," Rowe said.

"But again, it's been ingrained in me for a very long period of time, probably the way that I was brought up, that you just don't give up and I don't want to give up on the clubs that I represent, the people that I play with and I don't want to give up on myself either.

"I won't write anything off but particularly with the cricket, I feel really uncomfortable about coming back into a group that at the moment is being very successful. Don't get me wrong, there is still a massive part of the season to play out and there will be speed bumps and challenges that the group has got to overcome and deal with but we're in a really good position and I'm not comfortable coming in on their coat tails right at the end of the season to take part in a finals series.

I want to be able to say that I've really earned my spot, played a role and contributed to the group...I'm not going to try and come in and sneak the opportunity to be apart of a finals series over a young guy who has plied his craft all season and deserved his opportunity to be apart of what I was afforded the opportunity to be apart of last season."

Rowe is also entering his second season as senior coach of MCUE.

He hopes the mystery problem can be sorted soon so it does not impact on his Riverina League season.

"My intentions are to replicate what I did last year with footy," he said.

"I played nine games and felt that I contributed fairly well in seven of them and feel like I've still got a role to play there and would like to play it again if I possibly could but I'm very much understanding that at the moment the cricket season is getting away from me.

"Without a diagnosis and a way forward at this point its hard to sort of see, with a slightly negative mindset, when you might come back.

"I understand that I'll go into next year's footy season at 36 years old and the way that I see it, I've got to prepare my body and go into the season with a pretty good base fitness or I don't think I'm at the point where I can catch it up in a short amount of time."

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