McNamara offers encouragement to JP
England head coach Steve McNamara expects his stricken captain Jamie Peacock to come back "bigger and stronger" from his cruel season-ending knee injury.
The 32-year-old Leeds front-row forward is facing a lay-off of up to eight months after being told he needs to undergo major knee surgery as a result of the injury he sustained in the Rhinos' 38-6 Engage Super League win at Castleford last Friday.
"I spoke to Jamie on Monday and initially he was upset," said McNamara. "But I know he has a very strong mindset regarding injuries and how to deal with them. And I have got no doubt that he will be back fitter and stronger and bigger than ever."
Peacock will not only miss his club's first Challenge Cup final for 11 years at Wembley on Saturday week but will sit out the end-of-season Four Nations Series in Australia and New Zealand as he recovers from the operation.
Warrington skipper Adrian Morley, who has been England vice-captain under Peacock, is an obvious candidate to take over for the trip Down Under and the warm-up matches against Cumbria and the New Zealand Maori, but McNamara says he has not yet begun to consider a replacement.
"He obviously leaves a big hole but we'll deal with that in the coming weeks," he added.
"It's pretty much about Jamie at this moment in time. It's too early to think about the captaincy. At some stage we will have to sit down and digest it and we'll have to make some decisions.
"But for now, my only concern is Jamie. It's a serious injury and his health is of paramount importance."
