Andrew Johns feels Jahrome Hughes must be super confident he can handle the traffic sent his way this Friday having been named to play the Sharks in the preliminary final after Craig Bellamy backed his star’s return. The halfback’s comeback against the Sharks this Friday is a remarkable turnaround after he trudged off the ground in the final round of the NRL season with a fractured arm.
Hughes’ season appeared over when he suffered the injury in Round 27 against the Broncos, with coach Bellamy conceding at the time he couldn’t see the halfback playing again this year. Although Bellamy delighted Storm fans when he named Hughes at No.7 on Tuesday afternoon for the clash against Cronulla.
Andrew Johns (pictured) feels Jahrome Hughes (pictured left) must be super confident he is fit having been named to play the Sharks in the preliminary final. (Images: Getty Images)
This means Hughes will return after just three weeks from the fracture. The Kiwi international has only played one game in the last two months, after dislocating his shoulder before fracturing his arm in his return game.
And in his absence against the Bulldogs, Jonah Pezet was a standout as he guided the Melbourne Storm into the preliminary final. But Pezet has been named on the reserves with Hughes set to make a comeback.
Legendary halfback Johns was stunned Hughes was named on Tuesday and feels it is a risk after the playmaker has played such little footy in recent months. Johns said the Sharks could send traffic Hughes’ way, which will be a fresh challenge. Although he was willing to back the 29-year-old who has proven to be a game-winner for the Storm when he is on.
“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 said on Channel Nine’s ‘Freddy and the Eighth’.
“‘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.”
Craig Bellamy backs Jahrome Hughes return
While Johns had doubts over the call to bring Hughes straight back into the fold, coach Bellamy was confident the halfback would be at his best. Speaking on Thursday ahead of the game, Bellamy said Hughes would be lining-up to play the Sharks in a boost to the side.
“We’ll see how he gets through today but from what he’s done the last couple of weeks, he’ll be playing for sure,” Bellamy said. “For him to come back in, that’s a big boost. We’re confident in what he’s been doing and what he has to do … something will have to go drastically wrong today (for him not to play).”
Jahrome Hughes (pictured) will return against the Sharks.
Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon also weighed-in on the drama. The Sharks are looking to upset the Storm this weekend having knocked out the minor premiers last week with a relentless display. And Fitzgibbon expects Hughes to run out in the No.7 jersey with no major switches ahead of kick-off.
He also remained coy on whether Addin Fonua-Blake would drift out wide and run at Hughes in a bid to challenge the halfback’s defence. “I don’t think they’d be putting Jahrome out there if he wasn’t capable,” Fitzgibbon said.
“We don’t want to give up on what Addin does in the middle, but if he gets out there on the edge and gets an opportunity, he’s obviously hard to tackle. We can’t spend the whole game with Addin waiting out there to get the ball.”
Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon (pictured) expects Jahrome Hughes to play this weekend.