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A “very surprised” Andrew Johns has hit Jahrome Hughes between the eyes with the costs of coming back too early for a big game, saying he wouldn’t be able to hide behind Melbourne’s medical staff if his preliminary final return goes wrong.
Hughes has missed just one game since fracturing his left arm against the Broncos in round 27 and has been named to start at halfback in Friday night’s preliminary final clash with the Sharks.
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While the Storm have enjoyed a week off between their qualifying final and Friday night’s game, Hughes’ return to play just three weeks after the injury makes it the fastest recovery from an injury of that nature in the NRL‘s history.
Jahrome Hughes watches on from the sideline after injuring his shoulder against the Broncos. Getty
To complicate matters, when Hughes injured his shoulder in round 27 it was his first game back after a five-week stint on the sidelines due to a shoulder dislocation.
Despite his superstar status, Hughes’ lack of game time and his recent history of re-injuring his shoulder makes his appearance in a grand final qualifier a huge risk.
Johns was stunned to see his name on the team sheet, with rising star Jonah Pezet relegated to the number 21 jersey, making him a mere back-up who will potentially be cut from the game day squad on Thursday afternoon.
The Immortal added that if it went wrong and Hughes failed to play out the game, the blame for the decision would sit squarely with the player.
“I’m surprised. Very surprised. Obviously the medical staff would have given a heads up to Craig Bellamy but ultimately it comes down to Jahrome Hughes,” Johns told Wide World of Sports’ Freddy and the Eighth’s Tips.
“‘Are you right to play mate? Are you going to get through? Can you play 80 minutes? Can you make 20 tackles, 30 tackles on your shoulder?’ If he says yes then you’ve got to trust him.”
Brad Fittler also raised his eyebrows, adding: “Jahrome Hughes, that’s an interesting one.”
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While undoubtedly a gamble, there is a recent precedent for a gun halfback playing through a serious shoulder injury at the pointy end of finals.
Cooper Cronk was virtually a passenger in the 2018 decider due to a broken shoulder blade that the Roosters hid from the public in grand final week, but was influential in the result through his ability to organise the side’s attack.
The doctor who oversaw the plot to get Cronk through that game was Ameer Ibrahim, via a week of painkilling injections, infrared saunas, cold lasers, hyperbaric chambers, bone stimulating machines and ice packs.
Ibrahim is clearly a believer in playing through the unthinkable but told Yahoo Sport Australia that he had doubts Hughes would see out the game.
“There’s no way that the forearm is going to be strong enough to withstand a direct blow as well as a normal forearm (would),” he said.
“He’ll play with all types of strapping and protective guards, but there’s a risk that it’ll re-fracture or even bend with the plate still intact.
“Catching and passing would generally be okay but it’s more about putting any load on it, pushing yourself off the ground or sticking your arm out to tackle somebody. He’s also got the shoulder (issue) in the background.”
Despite the concerns over Hughes’ condition, both Johns and Fittler have tipped the Storm to come up trumps and be the first team into the decider.
While both expect it to be a tight game, the experience of Melbourne’s spine, the Craig Bellamy factor and statistics that support the best defensive team and the freshness that comes from a week off swayed them to go for the home team.
“Nineteen of the last 20 (grand final) winners have been the top two best defensive teams,” Fittler said.
“Canterbury are now out so Melbourne Storm get to hold that stat up.”
Scroll below for the current leaderboard and finals week three tips by all Nine’s expert tipsters!
Nine’s NRL tipping leaderboard. Nine
Andrew Johns: Storm, Panthers
Brad Fittler: Storm, Panthers
Danika Mason: Storm, Broncos
Darren Lockyer: Sharks, Broncos
Paul Gallen: Sharks, Panthers
Billy Slater: Storm, Panthers
Mat Thompson: Sharks, Panthers
Peter Psaltis: Sharks, Broncos
David Middleton: Storm, Panthers
The Mole: Storm, Panthers
Ben Glover: Storm, Broncos