Souths Captain and Unlucky Star Fight for Season Opener After Challenges

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Cameron Murray says he has “a few more boxes” that he has to tick before he’s cleared to play in round 1, but all signs are positive that the Souths skipper will be there for the Dolphins showdown where he could be joined by a luckless teammate.

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The workhorse lock forward suffered a serious wrist injury at training that ended his Pacific Championships campaign for the Kangaroos and had him in doubt for the season opener.

Murray required surgery and had his wrist in a cast for several weeks, but he’s feeling much better and is getting more and more confident that he’ll be good to go for the game against the Dolphins on March 7.

“There are still a few more boxes I can tick before I can say that I’m ready to go for round 1, but it’s on the right track,” he said at the NRL season launch in Sydney.

“It wasn’t an impact thing or anything like that. I just tackled someone who was going sideways, I swung around him a bit and I felt a bit of a flick in my wrist.

“It got gradually sorer during the training session. I wanted to play in the final, and in my mind I was prepping having to do everything I needed to do to get it right.

“But I got a scan and the doctor rang me and said I couldn’t play and that I had to fix it now or risk further damage.”

Murray isn’t the only Souths star racing the clock to play in round 1, with Campbell Graham pushing hard to return after he missed the entire 2024 season due to a serious sternum injury that required major surgery.

The towering centre had looked good at pre-season training but suffered a setback a couple of weeks ago when he broke a hand that was set to sideline him for 4-6 weeks.

That would leave him touch and go for the season opener, with Murray keen to see Graham back in action following his outstanding 2023 campaign when he claimed the George Piggins Medal as the club’s player of the year.

Campbell Graham suffered a pre-season setback but is a chance of featuring in round 1. Picture: InstagramSource: Instagram

“He’s been through a lot over the past 12 months, but I guess the good thing about the timing of the injury is that he got a good month or two of full contact and full training before he did it,” the skipper said.

“He built a lot of confidence after having 12 months off and he knows that he’s ready to go if he can get his hand right.

“It’s a little minor obstacle given everything else he’s had to deal with. Hopefully, he can get himself right.

“He’s the type of teammate you want out there next to you. He’s reliable, he never lets you down and he’s a competitor. He’s exactly who we want standing out there in the red and green.

“We definitely missed him a lot last year, so hopefully he can stay healthy and injury free.”