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Wayne Bennett has lauded Keaon Koloamatangi's toughness as he prepares to line up for South Sydney less than a week after fracturing his eye socket.
The rapid-fire return gives Koloamatangi two games to reassert his State of Origin credentials, after missing NSW's trip to Perth for game two with the game-ending injury suffered against Canterbury on Sunday.
Koloamatangi had originally been a member of NSW's extended squad for Origin II and appears to be the next cab off the rank if Laurie Daley wants to tweak his 17 for the decider on July 9 in Sydney.
The forward comes in from the extended squad to face Melbourne on Saturday and will be joined in the team by star fullback Latrell Mitchell, who is backing up from NSW's two-point loss.
The Storm have ruled winger Xavier Coates out of the game at Accor Stadium but are likely to have his Queensland teammates Harry Grant and Trent Loiero on deck after they flew direct to Sydney from Perth after Origin.
Fellow Origin representatives Stefano Utoikamanu and Cam Munster flew back to Melbourne and are at longer odds to make the trip to Sydney to face Koloamatangi and the Rabbitohs.
Wayne Bennett has lauded Keaon Koloamatangi's toughness as he prepares to line up for South Sydney less than a week after fracturing his eye socket
The South Sydney enforcer is also said to be in line for a NSW Origin recall ahead of the series decider on July 9 in Sydney
'(Koloamatangi) didn't need any surgery and the doctor's quite confident (the injury) won't be a problem to him. He's confident and he's happy so we'll go ahead and let him play,' said South Sydney coach Bennett.
'He's a bit like Jye Gray the other night with a broken thumb, (he) played the whole second half (against the Bulldogs).
'You can't question the toughness and the want to play for the club as well.
'The club's in a good place if players want to play and they've got injuries or getting back a little bit earlier. They work really hard.'
The news is not so good for recruit Lewis Dodd, who had been named to come in from reserve grade for the injured Jayden Sullivan but will be replaced at five-eighth by Jack Wighton.
The axing raises further questions as to Dodd's future at the Rabbitohs, who have only started him in the halves once since he was lured from England on a salary of more than $600,000.
Saturday's game will be the 44th time Bennett has coached against Storm mentor Craig Bellamy, breaking the record for most match-ups for two coaches since the grand final era began in 1954.
To keep their top-eight tilt on track, the 14th-placed Rabbitohs must snap Bellamy's impressive 14-game winning streak against Bennett coached sides.
'(Bellamy's teams) all do their jobs, they're really good at that. Whatever role you've got in the team, they do it,' he said.
