One way or another, Jahrome Hughes is poised to gain a greater appreciation of the fine line between pleasure and pain as he strives to uphold the proud tradition of wounded warriors chasing rugby league’s ultimate prize.

The Melbourne halfback suffered a fracture in his left wrist against Brisbane on September 4, yet just 22 days later he hopes to play against Cronulla in their preliminary final at AAMI Park on Friday.

The specialist who performed the surgery on Hughes was quoted as saying the “normal healing period” for such an injury is about 12 weeks, but he is hopeful the plate and screws inserted would enable a much quicker return.

Hughes’ halves partner, Cameron Munster , sounded equally optimistic, saying: “He’s ticking all the boxes … I think he’s fit and ready to go.”

There

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