Luckless star's vow to teammates after injury setback

Injury-plagued South Sydney star Campbell Graham has vowed to teammates that he will run onto the field for round one next month despite breaking his hand at training last week. Graham, who missed the entire 2024 season with a sternum injury, is officially listed as "out indefinitely" after the training mishap. But Graham has told his fellow players there is no way he will miss the Rabbitohs' opening game against the Dolphins in a major boost to the club at the start of Wayne Bennett's second coming. The tall centre, who was sorely missed as Souths struggled for potency out wide throughout the 2024 season, has five weeks to get himself back into match-playing condition. He may even play with the hand not 100 per cent healed, with thick bandaging or a protective guard around the injury. "He has said he will be there for round one," a Souths source told Wide World of Sports. "It has been a frustrating couple of years for him and this has only added to his determination to be on the field with his mates."

'Removed dead bone': Souths star's injury return confirmed

It's been over 500 days but South Sydney star Campbell Graham is ready to return to the NRL. Rabbitohs fans missed Graham in 2024 with the former Kangaroos centre forced to stop playing due to surgery and recovery from a sternum injury he picked up the year before. Campbell needed 29 pain-killing injections to get on the field in 2023, winning his club's player of the year award despite playing through pain, and was initially expected to be fit for the 2024 season but was forced to sit after complications arose. "They removed the dead bone from my sternum, took a bone graft from my left hip, then put the fresh bone into the sternum, and covered it with a couple of plates," Graham told The Sydney Morning Herald. "There was no blueprint in terms of when I could return. I was hoping I could be back around round 16 (2024), but it was up to the surgeon, and he told me when I could run and when I could do weights." Such was the club's concern, it decided to keep Graham off the field for the entire season and focus on a 2025 return. Graham says the decision has proved to be the right call. "I've been doing full contact since November, and I feel like a footy player again," Graham said. "I pulled up sore, and in a funny way I never realised I would miss that. Just having that contact, you don't realise how good it is to have the collision." Graham said coach Wayne Bennett had urged him not to "rush" back but he felt the time was right. "He told me to not rush things and think I should be playing fit for day one of pre-season. He gets you into that head space where you need to understand you won't be at your best your first game back, that you need to accept that, and how you can only be the best you can be and build on that. "Wayne simplifies everything, that's the way he coaches. It's not rocket science, and he instils belief and simplicity."

Tips: Why Souths player's debut at 28 spells trouble

Andrew Johns was visibly stunned to find out that the Rabbitohs were the bookmakers' favourites to win the NRL season-opener, with the Immortal claiming Manly were specials to pocket the two points after a positive off-season. Previewing the first of the two Las Vegas clashes to be played this Sunday afternoon (AEDT), both Johns and Brad Fittler expected a strong showing from the Sea Eagles, adding that the Rabbitohs would not be at their best due to a backline that's been ravaged by injuries and suspensions. Representative centres Campbell Graham (sternum injury) and Jack Wighton (suspension) are both unavailable to start the season, while 19-year-old gun winger Tyrone Munro is still yet to return from an ankle injury that stopped his pre-season in its tracks in January. That leaves them very thin out wide, with flyer Alex Johnston and superstar fullback Latrell Mitchell the only members of South Sydney's regular back five named to start in Vegas. Back ups Isaiah Tass and Richie Kennar have been named in the centres, while 28-year-old NRL debutant, Jacob Gagai, gets his start on the wing. That spells trouble for the Rabbitohs, according to Johns and Fittler, who are both expecting star Manly recruit Luke Brooks to add firepower to an already dangerous Sea Eagles backline. "Souths are favourites in this one?" Johns said, wearing a stunned look, in the match preview segment of Wide World of Sports' Freddy and the Eighth.

Graham set for Blues call-up

Campbell Graham has given Blues coach Brad Fittler no choice - he must be the first centre picked for Origin One.The long-striding Souths star was outstanding in the Rabbitohs' 32-6 demolition of Brisbane, scoring three tries and setting up another.Graham now has eight tries in eight games this season and is playing the best football of his career in the red-hot Bunnies backline.No centre in the NRL has scored as many - and Graham has also been outstanding in defence, saving tries with last-ditch tackles.Graham played for Australia in the World Cup and looked very comfortable in the green and gold - now it's time to blood him in Origin football against the Maroons.