NRL: Cameron Munster on track for miracle comeback from knee injury for Melbourne Storm
Content in their new home-away-from-home on the Sunshine Coast, Melbourne Storm got another piece of big news on Tuesday regarding the stunning return of their talismanic five-eighth.
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Cameron Munster has stunned Melbourne Storm medical staff and surged into selection consideration for Saturday night’s clash with Canberra Raiders.
Storm had budgeted to be without Munster for up to four weeks after he injured his knee in round 7, but the representative five-eighth has forced a rethink in the past 48 hours.
It comes as Storm on Tuesday began making arrangements to stay in Queensland indefinitely as Victoria plunges deeper into the COVID-19 crisis.
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A meeting of all players, staff and family members this week agreed unanimously that Twin Waters was the best place to be for the foreseeable future.
Storm general manager of football Frank Ponissi said everyone is “very comfortable” in the Sunshine State.
“At the earliest, mid-to-late August I’d imagine but our mindset is we could be here all year,” Ponissi said.
“Rather than hoping for the best and each week asking when is it going to be.
“The mindset around the group is we‘re here for the season ... if we go home earlier, it’s a bonus ... that’s the attitude we’ve taken.”
The NRL Apollo group has told Storm it will not be allowed to return to Victoria until at least 28 days after coronavirus infections drop and stabilise.
“It was a unanimous decision to stay here,” Ponissi said following the meeting with Storm players, staff and family.
“We‘re very comfortable here so we’re here until we get back to Melbourne.”
Storm has 55 players and staff in the “bubble” at Twin Waters and more than 20 partners and 30 children living at the hub. A second wave of partners and children are in Mooloolaba completing a mandatory 14-day quarantine period.
Munster’s selection on the extended Storm squad on Tuesday was a boost for the Storm.
“He’s got one of those bodies that defies medical philosophy,” Ponissi said.
“It was always a 2-4 week injury then wasn’t looking great and then suddenly made a recovery.
“If we had to make the decision now (to play) it would be a no, but ... if suddenly he continues to make this recovery he’s available Saturday.
“It’s unlikely he will play but if he continues in the next 72 hours like he’s done in the last 48 hours, he’s a slight chance of playing.”
Munster cannot do any further damage to the medial ligament injury.
“If he can train the whole session tomorrow then we’ll have another look at him on Friday and if he gets through that OK, we got to give it some serious thought,” Ponissi said.
Skipper Cameron Smith was named at hooker, while Brenko Lee and Nicho Hynes also made the initial 21-man squad.
WHY HUGHES WON’T SPRAY NEW HALVES PARTNER SMITH
The work Melbourne Storm star Jahrome Hughes has done “picking and choosing” the moments in games to run the ball also came in handy when charged with directing makeshift halves partner Cameron Smith.
Hughes was given the “green light” from Storm coach Craig Bellamy to call the shots in the backfield and, if necessary, to spray Smith for any mistakes and broken plays.
But the 25 year-old Kiwis international, still trying to solidify his own standing at halfback, erred on the side of caution during the pulsating extra-time win over Sydney Roosters.
“Maybe a couple of times he was in the wrong place and Craig gave me the green light to actually spray him but I couldn’t do it,” Hughes said.
“I gave him a polite reminder he’s not playing at hooker … I didn’t spray him, I wouldn’t spray him, and I wouldn’t do that, that’s too scary for me.”
Asked how Smith responded to the measured and polite in-game feedback, Hughes said: “He was pretty cool and calm just said ‘yeah, yeah, sorry mate, sorry mate’.
“If I sprayed him I don’t know what I would’ve got, (maybe) the steely eyes and probably might be dropped (this) week.
“I think I did a pretty good job at not spraying him.”
NRL record-collector and captain Smith is likely to again spot start as first-receiver on Saturday night in Canberra with Storm and representative five-eighth Cameron Munster (knee) still sidelined.
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Hughes registered six tackle busts and two tries from 100 run metres, last Thursday night against the reigning back-to-back premiers Roosters, in a career-best performance.
Contrary to his humility, the 25 year-old has been a consistent strike weapon in an otherwise inconsistent yet still lethal attack.
Hughes has had direct involvement in 12 of Melbourne‘s 28 tries this season — the eighth best strike rate in the competition, according to Fox Sports Lab.
“The coaches want me to use my running game even though I’m playing in the halves,” Hughes said.
“Picking and choosing, picking the right time to run, obviously I don‘t want to be running every time and running into a brick wall.
“In that second half (against the Roosters) our ruckies (forwards) did a really good job at getting quick play the balls and that’s the best time to run when the defensive line is a bit scattered.”
The Raiders boast the best recent record of any team against Melbourne, with three consecutive wins over the Storm, including a 22-6 rout in Round 3, the first game back from the shutdown.
“Everyone has got it in the back of their head the last couple of times we’ve played them so,” Hughes said.
“We want to get up for this game, it’s going to be a big game for us, hopefully we can prepare well and give it our best shot on the weekend.”