Craig Bellamy said he was confident, and now it’s official.
After three weeks of speculation star Melbourne halfback Jahrome Hughes will start against Cronulla.
When the Storm confirmed its final 19-man team list for the preliminary final, Hughes was still there—and halfback Jonah Pezet had been dropped from reserves bench, despite playing a starring role in week one of the NRL finals.
The move leaves no doubt the kiwi international will indeed take the field and, in doing so, he will not merely join the legendary feats of Mal Meninga and Shane Webcke in making a rapid return to the field from a broken arm—he’ll beat them.
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The selection marks another remarkable injury turnaround for Hughes who made an equally-swift return from a shoulder dislocation to play in the final round of the regular season against the Brisbane Broncos—only to fracture his left forearm and require surgery.
According to NRL Physio Brien Seeney, the fastest documented turnaround in the NRL era for a forearm fracture was previously held by Brisbane Broncos warrior Shane Webcke who played in the 2000 preliminary and grand finals just five weeks after breaking his left arm.
Hughes is returning after just three.
Of course, while Hughes will start tonight’s game against the Sharks at AAMI Park, whether he finishes is another story entirely with Craig Fitzgibbon’s forwards certain to deliver a searching physical test.
Without Pezet on the interchange bench, huge responsibility could well be thrust upon the shoulders of 25-year-old Storm utility Tyran Wishart should anything go wrong.
But such are the stakes on the penultimate weekend of the season.