Newcastle captain Kurt Gidley was relieved yesterday to discover that the injury he sustained in Saturday night's All Stars match was not as serious as initially thought.

He had feared he would be out of the season ahead before it started, but scans revealed a hamstring muscle or tendon tear.

He will  now be side-lined for 4-6 weeks to recover fully and said he would not push himself to go back before he was ready as he had done on previous occasions, only to find the pain return and take longer to recover. 

The number of injuries during Saturday's pre-season match had cast a shadow of doubt over the timing of such an event, as it could potentially ruin a player's seasons before it had even started. However the game's concept received more support on Monday from Australian Rugby League indigenous council chairman William 'Smiley' Johnstone.