Frizell back but Knights lose Sue for Melbourne Storm clash

The Knights will fly to the Sunshine Coast at midday on Wednesday to bunker down at the Novotel Twin Waters resort alongside the Sydney Roosters, Manly and Penrith.

Their clash against the Storm has been confirmed for AAMI Park with Melbourne the only club in the competition playing outside of Queensland.

Provided he gets through the club's final two training sessions this week, backrower Frizell will return in a real boost for the club after spending the past six weeks on the sideline following ankle surgery.

He suffered a syndesmosis injury in the final minutes of the Knights' 18-10 win over Manly on May 30 at McDonald Jones Stadium, only hours before the NSW Blues squad was named for Origin I in Townsville. The injury cost him the entire Origin series.

Knights coach Adam O'Brien said Frizell's professionalism with his rehab is the reason he is back already.

"Friz is one of the most professional players I have ever been associated with," O'Brien said.

"I'm told these injuries can sometimes take up to eight weeks to fully repair but he has just thrown himself head-first into his rehab and ticked off all the boxes to date to return.

"There is a couple of sessions left for him to get through but provided he does that, his return is a really big boost for us."

The news is not as positive for Sue, who will miss his first game of the season because of a hamstring strain.

With Frizell back and Sue out, O'Brien has shifted Mitch Barnett from the right edge to lock. O'Brien said Tex Hoy is back in the extended squad as insurance for Queensland Origin fullback Kalyn Ponga. He said Kurt Mann will start in the centres even if Ponga does not back up.

"I'm really reluctant to move Kurt out of the centres now," he said. "Leaving him there, leaving him in that spot is the best thing for him and for the team to be honest.

"I know he can do a job for us at fullback but my preference is to get our edge D [defence] in order and there's been some really good signs with him there so I'm reluctant to tinker with that."

O'Brien admitted he considered naming teenage English fullback Bailey Hodgson before opting for Hoy as Ponga's back-up.

"It's a hard place to debut, Melbourne in Melbourne, for an 18-year-old," he said.

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