The South Sydney Rabbitohs have received a welcome boost ahead of their key clash against Melbourne, with Cameron Murray named to start at lock in his first appearance since he was knocked out in the first hit-up of the State of Origin decider.
Rabbitohs head physio Eddie Farah confirmed that while Murray has been named to start this weekend, he still has a few boxes left to tick on his way to a return.
“Cam’s been going through protocols. He hasn’t had any (lingering) symptoms which is fantastic,” Farah told club media.
“But we’ve still got strict criteria that he has to progress through. He’s been ticking those off while enjoying some time away from the team to freshen himself up.
“He’ll jump back into training with the team this week and hopefully he’ll be available. He’s definitely tracking well, it will be great to have him back.”
It's a big boost for the Rabbitohs before their vital clash. A win could take them to the cusp of the top four and level on competition points with the Storm - but they haven't beaten Melbourne in their last seven meetings - a stretch going all the way back to 2018.
Farah also confirmed the status of Taane Milne, who suffered a finger dislocation in the clash against the Bulldogs.
“Taane had to come off and have his finger relocated,” Farah said.
“You see it often during an NRL game. It’s usually easy to slip back in but despite my best efforts and the team doctor on the sideline, it refused to go.”
“Eventually it went back into place, we put a splint on, strapped it up heavily and he was able to finish the game. X-rays cleared him of any fracture.”
Despite the good news, Milne has not been named in the Rabbitohs squad for this week with Jed Cartwright named to make just his third NRL start.
Farah also confirmed that Michael Chee-Kam is recovering well after surgery on his thumb. Chee-Kam returned to training with the first team this week and while his thumb still needs to heal, he’s expected back in a matter of weeks.