Inglis cleared to play for Storm
Wednesday Sep 6 17:30 AEST
After sweeping the Dally M awards, Melbourne received more good news with attacking genius Greg Inglis cleared to play in Sunday's NRL qualifying final against Parramatta.
Inglis was sent for MRI scans after Achilles tendon pain forced him out of two training sessions and it was feared the club's leading tryscorer may be sidelined for the Olympic Park clash.
However the scans revealed no structural damage, clearing the talented teenager to play.
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"I would be hugely surprised if he doesn't play on Sunday," Storm coach Craig Bellamy said.
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"He had a bit of trouble with it last Saturday night (against Manly) and that's why I brought him off.
"He struggled to run on Monday and Tuesday so we thought we'd play it safe and get the scans to make sure there's nothing underlying there but he should be right to train."
Inglis missed two months earlier this year with back stress fractures, and Storm physiotherapist Mary Toomey again put the problem down to "growing pains".
The teenager has added three centimetres and five kilograms over the past year to his already impressive frame.
"We can reasonably attribute it to growing when there's physical stress on the body," she said.
"It's now a matter of treatment and optimising his recovery after each match."
Melbourne won three Dally M awards with Bellamy declared NRL coach of the year while hooker Cameron Smith won the prestigious Dally M Medal for player of the year and Cooper Cronk, the best halfback.
Bellamy said the swag of awards won by his club marked an impressive end to one competition, with another starting on Sunday.
He felt the accolades were well-deserved, but was ready to focus on the final.
"I was asked whether they would mean anything if we didn't win the competition but it's now a different situation, it's a different competition," he said.
"Cam's award and the minor premiership has been well-deserved by our team because we've played really consistently and we've been the best team for the past six months, but if things don't go well over the next month that doesn't change what has happened.
"We consider it two different competitions, we've got rid of one and now we're into another one.
"What's important is not a month's time, what's important is this week, our preparation and our performance on Sunday."
Queensland Origin hooker Smith became the first Melbourne player to win the award, joining illustrious company like Ray Price, Peter Sterling, Ricky Stuart and three-time winner Andrew Johns.
Bellamy described the 23-year-old as the side's "rock".
"He's been ultra consistent, in the three years he's been here he's improved his game each year.
"He's been a real rock this year for our team, and I'm sure he will be for next month."
Wearing a rented suit, Cronk, who played his first full year for Melbourne at No.7, said he thought he was attending league's annual awards night for a "free feed".
In a major upset, Cronk pipped former winners Johns and Johnathan Thurston, as well as Matt Orford, who polled strongly in the overall award.
"It was my very first Dally M awards night and I dead-set thought I was going up there for a free flight and free feed," he said.
"When you're younger you sit on the couch and watch Friday night footy and see guys running around who you dream of playing alongside one day and to be stepping up in the same room and to be seen in the same light and spoken in the same breath as them is pretty flattering and very humbling.
"I just think it's a reflection on the side and how it's going."
