Dragons five-eighth Corey Norman has pencilled himself in for a possible Round 11 return against arch-rivals the Cronulla Sharks.
Norman fractured his cheekbone in his sides loss to the Parramatta Eels just under a fortnight ago, but despite the general prognosis of being sidelined for four to six weeks for the injury, Norman said yesterday he expects to be back very soon.
"(Doctors said) its healing well, so might be back next week, if not got the bye after that, so we will see how I'm feeling," Norman said.
Although an early return is on the cards, Norman expressed his faith in Shellharbour Sharks junior Jai Field to continue to the job in his absence this weekend against the Newcastle Knights.
"I'm a massive fan (of his), he's very skillful, hes a good player, he's quick... (I have) no doubt he will do another good job."
Norman's early return is a potential massive bonus for coach Paul McGregor leading into the derby against the Sharks.
The club also awaits news on the Federal Court's decision on star player Jack de Belin this afternoon.
Should De Belin successfully overturn his the NRL's ruling to stand him down in accordance with their "No-fault" policy, the Dragons are likely to apply for dispensation to play against the Knights this Sunday in Mudgee.
McGregor was tight-lipped on the issue but conceded that for all parties concerned, the ruling would be beneficial for club and player.
"There's been conversations around it on a weekly basis, on a daily basis, so it'll be nice, once the decision's made, that everyone can move on and Jack gets a little bit of closure around what's next," FoxSports.com.au.
- The Dragons match against the Newcastle Knights at Glen Willow Oval in Mudgee kicks off at 2pm on Sunday.
