‘Hopefully’ Jahrome Hughes makes rapid-fire recovery
Jasper Bruce |
Xavier Coates is hopeful of regaining Jahrome Hughes for Melbourne’s biggest game of the NRL season but says his star teammate will only return if completely back to his best.
The reigning Dally M Medallist fractured his forearm in round 27 so watched from the sidelines as the Storm beat Canterbury in their qualifying final and earned a week’s rest.
Hughes impressed Coates with his progress at training on Monday and told AAP last week he was feeling “pretty good” ahead of Friday’s grand final qualifier against Cronulla.
The halfback is set for more tests this week, with his possible return shaping as a huge boost to the Storm’s hopes of locking in a third grand final appearance in six seasons.
“It’d definitely be massive,” said winger Coates.
“He performed well at training today but he’s got a lot of tests to do still.
“He’s got another session and a captain’s run to get through and hopefully he can get through that and he can play on Friday night.”
With his side’s season on the line, Coates rejected suggestions the Storm could choose to rush Hughes back from injury underdone.
Playing on the ball as much as Hughes does would be very difficult with an arm injury.
“He wouldn’t step into the team if he wasn’t prepared,” Coates said.
So long derided as finals fodder, the Sharks have knocked off the Sydney Roosters and minor premiers Canberra in consecutive weeks and won nine of their past 10 games.
Coates wasn’t shocked to see Craig Fitzgibbon’s men send the Raiders out of finals in straight sets with Saturday’s 32-12 win.
“I wasn’t surprised at all, Cronulla’s a great team,” Coates said.
Halves pairing Braydon Trindall and Nicho Hynes combined seamlessly to trouble the Raiders’ porous right edge and Coates said the Storm must focus on the “very dangerous” duo.
“Whenever they’ve got the ball in their hands they create opportunities for people around them and opportunities for themselves. We’ve got to be really switched on,” he said.
“They’ll be their main players creating opportunities.”
AAP
