Storm captain an Queensland Maroons star Harry Grant will be ready for Origin opener
Melbourne Storm are hoping to have skipper Harry Grant back on the field by round 10, with the Maroons star likely to get at least one club game in before the State of Origin series kicks off.
There were fears Grant would miss the Origin opener on May 28 as a result of a hamstring injury that kept him out of last week's shock loss to the Dolphins.
'Harry's going to miss the next two games – this game against the Rabbitohs and the Magic weekend against the Raiders,' Storm general manager of football Frank Ponissi said on Wednesday.
'He'll definitely miss those two games, but we're hoping he'll be back the following week against the Wests Tigers.
'He'll be touch and go for that one. If he's not available for that, he'll definitely be available for the last game before Origin.'
The Storm are dealing with a mini injury crisis with Jack Howarth expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a dislocated shoulder, while Tui Kamikamica will miss two games with an ankle sprain.
Nick Meaney should return for Friday's game against Souths, while Nelson Asofa-Solomona has also been named, although Ponissi said the preference was for him to play a game in reserve grade to work on his conditioning.
'We should get Nick Meaney back on Friday which is great because we're really thin out wide, but the rest of our centres won't be back for another couple of months so we're going to be missing them for a while,' Ponissi told SEN, with Moses Leo also out long term.
'Every club gets injuries, but it's just how you deal with them. We know at the beginning of the year that we're going to have injuries and we're going to have bad periods, it's the ability to cover them.
'We coped really well last year when we had injuries, but we didn't cope with it last week. The next month we'll make a real effort to carry on without some key members of our team.'
Injuries won't be used an excuse this week as they look to bounce back from an ugly loss to the Dolphins where they conceded 40 points in a row after blowing a 16-2 lead.
Ponissi said the review was a tough one but praised the players for how they've responded at training.
'It hasn't been pleasant. It wasn't just uncharacteristic, it's not accepted at the club,' he said.
'It was a pretty strong and honest review, but in fairness to the players, they've reacted by training really well for the rest of the week.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Important story to tell': Fittler discusses Kangaroos ambition as Johns offered selector role
Brad Fittler knows that the next Kangaroos coach is about to experience something unforgettable. 'What's lost in all of this, it's been a long time since we've seen a Great Britain jersey,' said Fittler, the leading candidate to replace outgoing Australian coach Mal Meninga. 'A lot of players are unaware of the significance of Kangaroo tours and the place they have held in the game for a long time. That's a big part of it. 'I know there's a lot of stuff going on with eligibility, and Origin is so important to the game. Once Origin is over, talking about Kangaroo tours and their significance in the game will be a pretty important story to tell.' Fittler recently met with NRL officials about his interest in the Australian job, with an official appointment likely to be made after the second State of Origin game. Eighth Immortal Andrew Johns has already been approached to join the Kangaroos selection panel as a replacement for NSW coach Laurie Daley, who sat on last year's panel alongside former Australian captains Darren Lockyer, Cameron Smith and Boyd Cordner. If Fittler gets the coaching gig, it would round out an incredible footballing curriculum vitae that includes two premierships – as well as glory at state and international level – as a player, plus coaching the Roosters and then NSW to series wins with the clipboard. Fittler's love affair with Kangaroos tours began when he became the youngest player ever, at just 18, to be selected for one, in 1994. He also toured England with the national team in 1994 and 2001, the latter campaign as captain. The famous at the end of the NRL season.
The Age
3 hours ago
- The Age
‘Important story to tell': Fittler discusses Kangaroos ambition as Johns offered selector role
Brad Fittler knows that the next Kangaroos coach is about to experience something unforgettable. 'What's lost in all of this, it's been a long time since we've seen a Great Britain jersey,' said Fittler, the leading candidate to replace outgoing Australian coach Mal Meninga. 'A lot of players are unaware of the significance of Kangaroo tours and the place they have held in the game for a long time. That's a big part of it. 'I know there's a lot of stuff going on with eligibility, and Origin is so important to the game. Once Origin is over, talking about Kangaroo tours and their significance in the game will be a pretty important story to tell.' Fittler recently met with NRL officials about his interest in the Australian job, with an official appointment likely to be made after the second State of Origin game. Eighth Immortal Andrew Johns has already been approached to join the Kangaroos selection panel as a replacement for NSW coach Laurie Daley, who sat on last year's panel alongside former Australian captains Darren Lockyer, Cameron Smith and Boyd Cordner. If Fittler gets the coaching gig, it would round out an incredible footballing curriculum vitae that includes two premierships – as well as glory at state and international level – as a player, plus coaching the Roosters and then NSW to series wins with the clipboard. Fittler's love affair with Kangaroos tours began when he became the youngest player ever, at just 18, to be selected for one, in 1994. He also toured England with the national team in 1994 and 2001, the latter campaign as captain. The famous at the end of the NRL season.
The Age
3 hours ago
- The Age
Maroons accused of ‘mind games' … and running scared of Spencer
NSW enforcer Angus Crichton has accused Queensland of playing 'mind games' in naming their starting side and claimed kicking off away from Spencer Leniu in the opening encounter was a deliberate play from the Maroons. The Blues experienced a minor hiccup in preparations for Origin II in Perth when Canterbury winger Jacob Kiraz was called into camp as cover for Brian To'o on Wednesday. NSW officials are adamant the Penrith winger will be fit for Wednesday's kick-off, but want him to sit out Thursday's session as he recovers from hamstring soreness. While the Blues have made only one change to the team that won the first game in Brisbane – Stefano Utoikamanu replaces injured Warriors prop Mitch Barnett – the Maroons have discarded their famed 'pick-and-stick' approach in a bid to level the series. Captain Daly Cherry-Evans has been dropped, so too Beau Fermor, with Kurt Capewell being recalled and Kurt Mann shifting to No.14 following the elevation of Tom Dearden to halfback. Ezra Mam has also been called up as part of an extended bench. But the biggest surprise for the Blues players was the suggestion that Pat Carrigan and Jeremiah Nanai weren't in the starting line-up. 'Surely Nanai's not on the bench,' Crichton said from NSW camp. 'Surely Paddy's not on the bench as well. I think they're trying to play mind games with us by naming those guys there. I can't see Paddy or Jeremiah not starting. [Nanai] was one of their best last game so they might be trying to play mind games, but we're more focused on ourselves.' Origin is synonymous with big hits, as the game's most feared forward packs tear into each other. Spencer Leniu has a reputation for his fearless kick-off returns, but the Maroons seemingly didn't want to engage with the Roosters prop when he came off the interchange bench in game one.
