THEY breed them tough out at Wee Waa in the cotton belt of northwest NSW.
So there was nothing soft and fluffy about Jamie Lyon's performance yesterday.
Hit in a crunching tackle by Melbourne winger Joseph Tomane in the 25th minute at Olympic Park, the Manly and NSW centre grimaced in pain, grabbing his right shoulder and looking at the heavens.
He only lasted another five minutes as his right arm was virtually useless, dangling by his side.
"I got it strapped up and it managed to settle down so it was good," was all Lyon said in describing what the Sea Eagles medical staff did to his shoulder to enable him to take the field in the 50th minute of the second half.
He scored a try 13 minutes later that put Manly ahead 18-16, and with a penalty goal to skipper Matt Orford later in the half, the Sea Eagles had wrapped up a crucial win in the destiny round of the season.
"I just got a hit on the shoulder. I'm not sure how it'll be. I've got to have scans and everything. It's pretty sore," Lyon said. "I managed to get through the game and get the win."
The 27-year-old could be back next Sunday for the match against Cronulla at Brookvale Oval, or he might have to miss the last two preliminary rounds.
"It did hurt a little bit when I was tackling, but it wasn't too bad. You tend to forget about it once you're back out there." Lyon said.
"You can't think about it too much or it will take your mind off what you've got to do."
He admitted that if Manly had been on top of the ladder he would not have gone back onto the field. As it was, Manly would have slumped to 10th if it had lost yesterday. The win took it to fifth.
"It was a crucial game for us. We had to win. It was one of our best wins of the year," Lyon said.
Orford, who likes to work the right-hand side in attack with Lyon and winger David Williams looming large, said he was relieved to see Lyon return.
"I saw him going off and was thinking about the stability and combination I have with him.
"It showed great courage for Jamie to come back," Orford said.
Margie McDonald The Australian
