While the South Sydney Rabbitohs will be welcoming a host of troops back to their starting lineup come Round 1, perhaps the most important cog in their machine may still be missing.
Cameron Murray had injured his wrist during the captain's run before Australia's Test against New Zealand in the Pacific Championships.
Murray has revealed his availability for his side's season debut against The Dolphins is still up in the air, with a lot of work to be done over the next month.
โI still don't know if I'll play," Murray toldย The Sydney Morning Herald.
"I really want to [play]. As much as I want to be out there, the smart thing would be to not rush it, and not re-injure or re-damage anything in there because my rehab has already been a slow process, and I don't want to go through it again.
"I'll work hard and try to do everything I can, but it's a case of wait and see.โ
The New South Wales forward explained that although he has been given the go-ahead to play in the Souths season opener, there are a few more hurdles he will need to overcome.
โI saw the surgeon late last week, and he gave me the green light to play in round one if I was OK, so I'm working towards that."
While he had injured his wrist in October last year, the Rabbitohs skipper admitted it's still "pretty sore" and is worried about the timeline his surgeon has lined out for him.
"If you were to ask me now, I think starting contact when he told me to start (in a fortnight) is probably unlikely. It will be touch and go.โ
Murray hadn't thought much of his injury at the time, thinking it to be minor ligament damage. He went to grab Kangaroos' teammate Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow but immediately felt sharp pains in his wrist.
He went on to play a Test against New Zealand with a broken wrist and only stopped training with a protective guard over his left wrist late last week.
While questions have been raised surrounding how the burly lock was allowed to play in the match, Murray has sworn he is the only one to blame.
โI wanted to play, and if anybody had told me I couldn't, I would have pushed hard to play anyway.
โIt was nobody's fault except mine. I love playing with those guys, I love representing the Australian jersey, so I wanted to be there.โ
While his bravery is to be commended, Murray is now racing the clock to be fit by Round 1. His absence will be sorely missed if he isn't cleared to play, grave news that Souths fans are praying not to hear.
Souths will start their season on the road against Wayne Bennett's former club, The Dolphins, followed by an eight-day turnaround where they will face the St George Illawarra Dragons in Wollongong.
Murray joins a plethora of injured Rabbitohs looking to return by Round 1, including Campbell Graham, Cody Walker, and Jai Arrow.
However, with the Souths skipper's inspirational leadership and soldier-like work ethic, there is no doubt Wayne Bennett's return to Redcliffe will be much sweeter with Cameron Murray on the team list.
