Melbourne Storm head coach Craig Bellamy has hinted at Joe Chan being a potential consideration to play in the centres next weekend after filling the role during the closing stages of the club's win on Anzac Day over the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Chan's shuffle into the centres after playing from the bench came after Sua Fa'alogo was taken out of the game with a concussion from a Latrell Mitchell high shot.
It was a role Chan spent limited time in last weekend as well, and despite being a second-rower, Bellamy said he was impressed with what the forward - who is fast becoming a utility - was able to dish up.
"I have been really happy with Joey Chan. When Sua went off, he went in the centres. He did it last week too. For a guy that hasn't played in the centres before, he has done a good job," he said.
"Our mentality has always been, it makes it hard with key players, but when someone misses out, someone else gets a chance."
Sua Fa'alogo will be unavailable next week as he sits through the NRL's 11-day concussion protocols, and while Kane Bradley could come straight back into the side, Bellamy may be tempted to mix things up after he was a late demotion to 18th man for Friday's game.
Fa'alogo joins the Storm's outside backs injury crisis. While Nick Meaney returned last night, all of Will Warbrick, Jack Howarth, Dean Ieremia, Moses Leo and Marion Seve remain sidelined.
"He won't be playing, so that's a concern. I'm not quite sure, we have had this run of injuries with our outside backs, but I don't think there will be many of them coming back anytime soon," Bellamy said.
"We are struggling a little bit there and this certainly isn't going to help with Sua not playing next week, but it is what it is, and we just have to make sure we move on and give someone else a chance."
There is one piece of better news for the Storm, albeit in the forward pack, with Nelson Asofa-Solomona set to return through the Queensland Cup this weekend after spending a prolonged period out with a concussion.
"He is going up to play in the Queensland Cup tomorrow. We will see how he goes there and he might get a run with us next week. He has been out for a long time, and we wanted him to just go up there and have a bit of a run, see where he is at fitness wise, see where he is at with the concussion thing," the coach said.
The New Zealander could be a chance to return to the NRL next Sunday when the Storm take on the Canberra Raiders, while the club could also push to have Tui Kamikamica back on deck from an ankle injury, although he is likely to require an additional week.
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