Harrison battling to be fit for Eels clash

May 22, 2013 - 11:05 PM Queensland State of Origin star Ashley Harrison appears to be in extreme doubt for Gold Coast's NRL clash on Sunday against Parramatta in Mudgee.

The Titans lock has failed to train all week as he battles a knee complaint, leaving him in a battle to prove his fitness for the country NSW game against the Eels.

Harrison will be with the team when they depart Queensland on Friday for a flight to Sydney and then a long bus ride to the central NSW town.

It means he will have just a final training run on Saturday in Mudgee to prove his fitness for the Titans and also Queensland selectors, with the Maroons squad for Origin I to be named on Monday.

Teammate Mark Minichiello said he wasn't sure how likely it was that Harrison would line up on Sunday.

"He hasn't trained yet this week so I guess they're going to give him until Saturday," Minichiello told AAP.

"If he's fit he'll play, otherwise he might need a week off."

Minichiello said he didn't think Harrison would be any more cautious about declaring himself fit to play despite the looming Origin series.

"I daresay that the Titans are at the forefront of his mind and Origin comes second," Minichiello said.

"If he's not fit, he's not fit."

One player who will definitely line up for the Titans on Sunday, and possibly the Maroons, is giant forward Dave Taylor.

After travelling with coach John Cartwright to Sydney on Wednesday night for a judiciary hearing where he successfully downgraded a dangerous contact charge, Taylor was back at training on Thursday morning.

And Minichiello says having Taylor available for Sunday's game was a massive boost.

"We've got a few injuries so if we'd lost another man it would've been tough," he said.

"It's good we get him on board this week."

Taylor will come into the squad in place of Luke O'Dwyer, who will spend an extra week recovering from a broken jaw.

Source: AAP