Payne Haas is set to line up for NSW in the State of Origin series opener after he resumed training with the Blues.
The form forward of the NRL, Haas finished Friday’s training session at Coogee Oval with ice on his foot after rolling his ankle.
The injury sparked serious concerns for NSW, who are already without injured middle forward options Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Jake Trbojevic so could ill-afford to lose the bullocking experienced Haas.
The Blues were unsure of Haas’ prognosis after training on Friday but will breathe a sigh of relief after the front-rower returned to the field following the Blues’ rest day.
The Brisbane behemoth ran freely at the Blues’ final session on Sunday before flying to Adelaide on Monday morning, and participated in the same light contact drills as his teammates.
He was also able to get through the same “extras” routine he and fellow prop Junior Paulo complete during Blues sessions.
“It was a bit of a scare, but I thought it was a bit of a carry-on from him,” Paulo said.
“We knew he was going to be all right, he just had to ice up. One day makes a difference when you’ve just got to rest up and recover.
“It’s good to have him back. It looks like nothing was ever wrong with him, the way he was running around today.”
Blues centre and South Sydney star Latrell Mitchell was glowing in his praise for Haas after the prop forward returned to the fray.
“I’m glad to see him there,” Mitchell said.
“He’s a big part of the culture here and what we’re trying to achieve. You can see why he’s nothing short of an incredible player. He’ll definitely go down as one of the greats.
“He can come to Souths if he wants!”
Australian Associated Press