The Sydney Roosters may have been hamstrung by the likely absence of Sam Walker for the remainder of the season, but Trent Robinson's side are set for a double boost in the coming weeks.
Both veteran winger Daniel Tupou and rugby union-bound teammate Angus Crichton are due back before the campaign is over, with the Roosters in the top four and guaranteed of at least two finals games as they push for a premiership.
The Roosters, who recently welcomed back James Tedesco from an ankle injury, are hoping Tupou will be fit this weekend to play the South Sydney Rabbitohs, while Crichton should also be back during the finals series, per a News Corp report.
“Toops is closer than Gussy,” utility forward Connor Watson was quoted as saying on Monday at training.
“They both trained today, and they both looked pretty good, too. So to be able to bring those guys in will be great for us.
Tupou's likely return for the Roosters in the clash against arch rivals the Rabbitohs will likely see Billy Smith moving into the centres, with Hugo Savala shuffling to five-eighth and Daly Cherry-Evans to halfback to accomodate the loss of Walker.
That could yet change though with the Roosters also unable to host a qualifying final in realistic terms, and unable to drop out of the top four, so there is a chance Robinson will rest some players.
That said, the Roosters have lost two straight, dropping games to the Wests Tigers and Dolphins, and will want to recapture some form before the finals.
Tupou is one of the best wingers in the competition, and has been through the rigours of finals plenty of times in his career, so will be a key return for the Bondi-based outfit.
Crichton too will be an enormous in during the finals for the Roosters, even if he is unable to get any minutes on the board beforehand against South Sydney.
It's understood he is tracking well for the first week of the finals though, having last played in June before needing surgery on his foot.
Crichton will likely feature off the bench given his lack of match fitness, and the form of current second-row options Siua Wong and Salesi Foketi.
