As the latest round of the National Rugby League (NRL) approaches, two of the Queensland Maroons’ biggest stars from the opening State of Origin clash are facing last-minute fitness questions ahead of Melbourne Storm’s Saturday night showdown with the Sydney Roosters, while the Newcastle Knights have locked in their full Origin contingent, including star fullback Kalyn Ponga, for their match against the Parramatta Eels.
Storm superstars Harry Grant and Cameron Munster, who were key contributors to Queensland’s dramatic State of Origin opener in Sydney earlier this week, skipped the team’s traditional Friday captain’s run, leaving their game status up in the air. Both players put in standout performances for the Maroons despite the side squandering a commanding 20-point first-half lead: Grant notched a match-high 46 tackles and produced a brilliant flick pass that set up a try for prop Thomas Flegler, while Munster made 14 attacking runs and created one try of his own.
Melbourne head coach Craig Bellamy confirmed Friday that the duo remain undecided for the round 15 clash, with the club waiting to assess their recovery from the high-intensity Origin fixture before making a final call. “Whether they play or not, I’m not quite sure yet. We’ll just see how they pull up tomorrow,” Bellamy told reporters. “They won’t be doing any training today. They’d like to play, but whether it’s best for them or not, we’re not quite sure yet. They need to have a few more checks and then go from there.”
If Grant and Munster are ruled out through fatigue or injury, youngsters Trent Toelau and Keagan Russell-Smith are in line to step into the starting lineup. One Queensland Origin forward that will be suiting up for the Storm this weekend is bench forward Trent Loiero, who only saw 15 minutes of game time in the Origin opener. “We think Trent’s going to be OK because he only played 15 minutes so he’s really keen to play, and I think he’ll train today,” Bellamy added.
Across the draw, Newcastle Knights head coach Justin Holbrook has confirmed that all of the club’s players who featured in the opening Origin fixture will be available to back up against the Eels this Saturday. That includes star Queensland fullback Kalyn Ponga, who was sent off early in the Origin opener and issued a fine for an illegal shoulder charge. Ponga is set to lead the Knights into this weekend’s clash after coming through the Origin fixture with no lingering fitness issues.
New South Wales Blues pair Jacob Saifiti and Dylan Lucas, who were named in the Origin squad but did not take the field, will also be available for selection, matching the squad the Knights named earlier in the week. “After Origin, Kalyn’s feeling good, so he’ll back-up,” Holbrook said. “The other boys didn’t get a run, so we’re all good to go as what we’ve named.”
For the Storm, the potential absence of their two star Origin representatives comes at a tricky time, as the club looks to bounce back from a frustrating loss to the Canterbury Bulldogs last round. Melbourne surrendered a substantial halftime lead against the Bulldogs to fall to defeat, a second-half collapse that left Bellamy frustrated and searching for answers. The coach noted that he has already implemented small adjustments to fix the side’s troubling second-half drop-offs, but those changes will need more time to take full effect.
“We’ve already tried to tweak a few things, but there are only so many things you can tweak. The tweaks we’ve made might take a week or two to work,” Bellamy said. “I can’t remember the last time in my coaching career that I’ve been so confused about that. We’ve tried a few different things, but we just can’t seem to get it right in the second half. If we keep talking about it and thinking about it, we’ve got to worry about the rest of the game.”
The Roosters, who will host the Storm, could also field a vastly changed side this weekend if head coach Trent Robinson opts to rest several of his own stars coming off State of Origin duties, making a Melbourne win even more dependent on whether Grant and Munster are able to take the field.