Resisting any temptation to again rest players ahead of the final series, Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy has named his strongest available side for the final round clash with Brisbane.
That includes the keenly anticipated return of reigning Dally M medalist Jahrome Hughes.
“We rested a few last week (in the 40-10 loss to the Roosters) and our second half was poor to be quite honest—we’ll be looking to improve a little bit there,” Bellamy admitted with a wry smile in his pre-match media conference.
In arguably the most significant selection news in the entire NRL premiership race, Bellamy was asked about the return of his star number seven after missing six weeks with a dislocated shoulder.
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“We’ll see (how he goes) tomorrow night,” Bellamy said of Hughes’ selection, which forces utility Tyran Wishart back to the interchange bench.
“We probably could have brought him back last week, but just wanted to make sure he was 100 percent, the medical staff are very confident.”
‘It’s hard coming straight back into a final’
Ever since Hughes went down against the Sydney Roosters in Round 21, Bellamy has made no secret of his wish for a pre-finals return for his star playmaker.
“After six weeks off, it doesn’t matter how experienced you are, it’s hard coming straight back into a final so the run is going to be really beneficial for him—and hopefully for us,” Bellamy said.
Despite having won 17 of their past 18 matches against the Broncos, including a 50-12 thrashing in the corresponding match in Round 27 last season, the Storm boss cautioned against overconfidence given what’s at stake for the Broncos.
“They’ve (Brisbane) got themselves into a good position on the table and obviously they want to hang on to that, they’re always tough games.”