The Melbourne Storm have confirmed Jonah Pezet will be sidelined for a lengthy stint with a new knee injury, while Jahrome Hughes is no guarantee of returning from a broken hand this weekend.
Pezet, who suffered an ACL injury in the middle of last season, returned last weekend with the North Sydney Bears in the NSW Cup.
He failed to see out the game though, suffering a new knee injury, and it has now been confirmed that he will need surgery on his knee to stabilise it withthe club expecting another layoff of between eight and twelve weeks.
โJonah played 40 minutes for the Bears and did really well in his first game back in nearly a year. He will undergo minor surgery this week to stabilise his knee," Melbourne's director of football Frank Ponissi said in a club injury update.
โI want to give Jonah a massive wrap for the manner in which he has managed this latest setback. He's remained positive throughout and will work hard to get himself back playing.โ
It puts doubt over the likelihood of Pezet featuring in the top grade at all this season, with the halfback again needing to ease his way back into rugby league through training and reserve grade before being a chance of playing for the Storm.
It's a major blow for the Storm, who undoubtedly would have liked Pezet to be firing by the time the State of Origin period rolls around when they will likely lose Cameron Munster for a number of games.
The eight to twelve week layoff means Pezet could be available anytime between Round 13 (the end of May) and Round 17 (the end of June).
In other news, Jahrome Hughes was a surprise addition to the reserves list for this weekend's clash with the Manly Sea Eagles at Brookvale.
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He is just two weeks removed from a fractured hand, and had to watch on over the weekend as his team failed to score more than a single try against a resillient St George Illawarra Dragons outfit, despite having 46 tackles in the opposition 20.
Ponissi however revealed Hughes is no guarantee.
โJahrome has progressed quickly from his hand injury. Our medical staff came to us earlier this week and reported that he might be available for Sunday," Ponissi said.
โThere's still some work to do before that becomes reality. Jahrome will need to train with the squad over the next two days and then a selection decision will be made on Saturday morning.โ
Should Hughes be kept out, Tyran Wishart will again wear the number seven. If he does return, Wishart will likely drop back to the bench, with Bronson Garlick falling out of the side.
The Storm have also confirmed Nelson Asofa-Solomona is yet to pass through concussion protocols which means he is at least another week away from selection, while Marion Seve has suffered a hamstring strain and is currently waiting to have an MRI scan to determine the extent of the damage.
That comes after he was a late call up to Melbourne's bench to take on the Dragons.
Nick Meaney is also recovering on schedule and due back within the four to six week timeline that was originally reported.
โNick is doing really well. Our medical staff report it's a four to six week injury. He's now into his second week and there's nothing to suggest he will be sidelined for any longer than first reported," Ponissi said.
The Storm director of football also gave a brief update on Moses Leo, who has been named in the 22-man squad for Sunday's clash with Manly.
โIt was exciting to see Moses play his first game. He got through the match extremely well, and has worked hard throughout pre-season, despite a few injury setbacks. He has been named in the 22-man squad for Sunday and will continue to play for the Bears as he prepares for NRL selection," Ponissi said.
