LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
The Melbourne Storm are taking a risk by including Jahrome Hughes in their lineup for the NRL preliminary final against Cronulla, which is set for Friday night. Hughes, a standout halfback, has only played once in the last two months due to injuries, including a broken arm that followed a shoulder dislocation.
Though facing challenges, the Dally M Medallist has convinced coach Craig Bellamy and the Storm's medical staff of his readiness for the critical match at AAMI Park. The team aims for a chance to compete in consecutive grand finals.
After undergoing surgery, Hughes has been seen practicing with his arm in a padded brace, and he successfully completed a rigorous workout on Tuesday, which secured his position in the team's lineup.
However, team captain Harry Grant acknowledged that Hughes still has obstacles to overcome. "He's been training pretty well and getting through what he has to do, but he's still got a fair bit to get through obviously with the week and how it builds and all that kind of stuff," said Grant.
Should Bellamy choose to make a last-minute change, Jonah Pezet, who performed well as halfback during their previous qualifying final against Canterbury, is on standby. Hughes himself has made it clear that he wouldn't rush back to play unless he was at full capacity. "I'm confident … it's the medical team that's going to have to see where I'm at, but in saying that I'm not someone that's going to put the team under pressure by coming back early so I'm going to be making sure I'm right to go," Hughes stated.