Broncos star Brodie Croft will be fit for the resumption of the NRL season

In a silver-lining to the COVID-19 pandemic, Brisbane halfback Brodie Croft will be fit for the resumption of the NRL season after recovering from an AC joint injury.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 06: Brodie Croft during a Brisbane Broncos NRL training session at the Clive Berghofer Centre on May 06, 2020 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

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Broncos halfback Brodie Croft has been cleared of a shoulder injury and will ramp-up contact work to ensure he is ready for combat for the NRL’s premiership restart on May 28.

The Storm recruit’s slick start at the Broncos suffered a setback when Croft injured the AC joint in his right shoulder just 14 minutes into Brisbane’s impressive 22-18 defeat of Souths in round two.

But there has been a silver lining to the coronavirus pandemic, with the suspension of the NRL season giving Croft time to heal an injury which could have seen him miss Brisbane’s planned round-three clash against the Titans.

The NRL will finalise a new draw in the coming weeks, but the one certainty is that Croft is now 100 per cent fit to reprise his scrumbase combination with strike pivot Anthony Milford.

“My shoulder feels good,” said Croft, who worked on his kicking game at Broncos training on Friday.

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Croft is expected to be fit for Round 3. Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images.

“I’ve got the full range of movement in it and I now have to build the strength back up.

“We have three weeks to get ready and I’m keen to get some one-on-one sessions going again.

“The break has certainly helped me that’s for sure. It (his shoulder) has naturally healed and I’ve done the rehab done at home in the spare time I’ve had.

“The main thing you use your shoulder for in rugby league is contact so I need to work on that. I needed to get the range of movement back, which I have, and the past week I have been working on my strength.

“I will be good to go for round three.”

The Croft-Milford alliance showed promise in the first two rounds.

Brisbane’s new scrumbase pairing hit the ground running in their opening-round 28-21 defeat of the Cowboys. Croft then set up the Broncos’ opening try against Souths with a superb long ball before leaving the field with his shoulder ailment.

Croft is one of Brisbane\s star recruits. AAP Image/Dan Peled.

Croft is confident the eight-week hiatus will not affect Brisbane’s playmaking structures. Coach Anthony Seibold is so determined to ensure Brisbane’s continuity after back-to-back wins he has tested the tactical knowledge of players since their return to training this week.

“We have had team meetings and been quizzed on our how our structures are and the boys have been answering that well,” Croft said.

“The mentality of how we want to play our football is still there so we just have to get back in the swing of things and continue on into round three.

“We certainly started the year how we hoped it would start.

“Things were looking good for us. I don’t think we have lost too much in the seven or eight weeks we have had off. It will be good to get our timing and rhythm back.”