NRL 2022: Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes says he’s over a calf injury and ready to play against Canberra

A key Melbourne Storm playmaker won’t let injury stop him playing in Saturday’s must-win NRL final.

Jahrome Hughes will be back. Picture: Mark Nolan/Getty Images

The “do-or-die” status of Melbourne Storm’s elimination final against Canberra is enough for star halfback Jahrome Hughes to declare he’ll take the park whether he’s 100 per cent fit or not.

Hughes missed the Storm’s round 25 loss to Parramatta with a calf injury, a defeat that cost Melbourne a finishing spot in the top four for the first time in eight seasons, because the “risk versus reward” decision was made to prioritise the finals.

Hughes didn’t train with his Storm teammates on Tuesday and conceded he was not fully fit but said something would have to go wrong for him to miss the must-win clash to keep Melbourne’s premiership hopes alive.

“I’m gonna get a couple of days of good training and we’ll go from there,” Hughes said on Tuesday before he was named in the 17-man team for the clash with the Raiders, replacing Cooper Johns, the only change to the team defeated by the Eels.

“I’m gonna say I’m 100 per cent, but I guess it’s up to the physios. But it’s do or die now. If I’m not 100 per cent I’ll be still fighting to play, even if I’m at 80 per cent or whatever it is.

“It‘s actually pretty good at the moment. Obviously, last week, didn’t want to take any risks.

I know it was a big game but missing the finals probably wasn’t worth it.”

Storm are motivated by farewells to Felise Kaufusi, Jesse Bromwich, Brandon Smith and Kenny Bromwich. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Hughes said he dialled in his focus on getting right for the first final when he knew he was ruled out of the final round and was confident he’d be fully wound up by game day.

“Once I knew I wasn’t playing, I sort of started working on getting back this week,” he said.

“So we’ve done a bit of work on that last week, just trying to get out there and train but do a bit of training and get used to running again.”

Being dialled in will come easily for Hughes this week with a significant motivation to send Storm stalwarts, and two of his New Zealand international teammates, Jesse and Kenny Bromwich out in style.

The match will be the last at AAMI Park for the Bromwich brothers as well as premiership heroes Felise Kaufusi and Brandon Smith, and that’s not been lost on anyone in the Storm playing group.

“We know it‘s gonna be their last time here and, we want to send them out the right way that they deserve because they’ve done a lot for this club and a lot for myself as well,” Hughes said.

“I’m trying to take it a bit personally trying to send them off on a high.

“It’s finals, it’s easy to get up for but just to try send them out the right way is another lift and hopefully gives us another boost.”

Originally published as NRL 2022: Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes says he’s over a calf injury and ready to play against Canberra