ERIC Grothe's representative future is in serious doubt after the Parramatta winger missed a training session with the Kangaroos yesterday, attracting a stinging rebuke from coach Ricky Stuart.

Stuart suggested Grothe would never be picked for Australia while he was coach after Grothe's second no-show for a representative training session.

Grothe had been out drinking with Eels teammates on Tuesday night but players contacted yesterday by the Herald claimed to be unaware of his whereabouts.

Yesterday's session involved 20 players from the Kangaroos' train-on squad.

Stuart made no effort to hide his disappointment. "I'm not going to lie, he didn't lob," he said. "He knew about it, and he'll be no longer in our plans. And I hope the selectors and the ARL understand that's only my decision, but I hope they take it on board.

"A person who's not going to respect the jumper, as I said from day one when I got this job, he won't be in my plans this year and/or in the future."

Asked how he felt over his stand, Stuart said: "Satisfied, actually. He gives me great evidence today in regards to where his indications lie, and that's obviously to have a drink with his mates."

The dramatic development follows a similar no-show by the 27-year-old last year for a City Origin camp. He later claimed to have slept in after losing his mobile telephone during a night out. On that occasion, Grothe turned up two-and-a-half hours late for the SCG session.

There may be a similar excuse this time. Grothe was out with Eels teammates on Tuesday night, continuing Mad Monday celebrations following their exit from the competition at the hands of Melbourne last Sunday, with Daniel Wagon telling the Herald: "I was with him yesterday morning. His phone died on Tuesday night. He dropped it after the game and his battery cracked. He hasn't got a new one yet. I've been trying to ring him myself."

Stuart said he had not heard from Grothe as the squad was put through an hour-long session at the Sydney Football Stadium.

The fact that Grothe has effectively been black-balled from Australian calculations could also have dire consequences for his State of Origin aspirations.

His manager Andrew Purcell said he had been unable to contact Grothe yesterday. "I've left a message with him, but I'm not sure where he is," he said.

"I'll endeavour to catch up with him in the next day or so … [but] there could be a legitimate reason."

Still, the fact that two players had travelled from Townsville to attend the session will make Grothe's no-show even more difficult to explain.

Cowboys enforcer Carl Webb turned up to be ruled out of the Test with a calf tear, while fullback Matt Bowen joined him on the sidelines at the training session, as Stuart had excused the players involved in preliminary finals from training.

The other absentees were Scott Prince, whose flight from the Gold Coast was delayed, and Warriors prop Steve Price, who was not required to travel from Auckland.

Meanwhile, Sharks lock Paul Gallen is also expected to be ruled out of the side. It seems likely he will require a shoulder reconstruction which would also impact on the start of next season.

Gallen will see a shoulder specialist tomorrow, but admitted after medical staff had studied scans of his shoulder that "it doesn't look too good".

Gallen hurt his shoulder in the Prime Minister XIII's 28-28 draw with Papua New Guinea last weekend.

"I'm a little bit worried about it at the moment but, fingers crossed, it'll be all right," he said.

Stuart, foreshadowing a changing of the guard "in a few positions", also suggested Bulldogs forward Willie Mason was facing an uphill battle to be picked for the clash.

Asked about the recent speculation that Mason might miss out, Stuart said: "I think it's fair comment. I think you'll find a few new faces in this 18 on Monday. If you spoke to Willie about it, I think he would agree with me in regards to the comment."

Stuart handed the inside running for the contentious halfback spot to Sunday's grand finalists - Manly's Matt Orford and Melbourne's Cooper Cronk.