The Brisbane Broncos have finally had some good news with half-back Peter Wallace cleared to play in their must-win game against the Canberra Raiders at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
Wallace, who dislocated his shoulder in the Broncos' 34-6 loss to the Warriors last weekend, was thought almost certain to join skipper Darren Lockyer on the sidelines in the last round of the regular season, but was cleared by medical staff on Thursday to take his place.
The Raiders have won seven of their last eight, and the floundering Broncos need to win by at least 15 points and for St George to beat South Sydney in order to qualify for their 19th-straight finals appearance.
Although Wallace has been quiet in the absence of Lockyer, and past greats such as Alan Langer have called for greater efforts, the inclusion of the former Blues State of Origin No.7 could be vital for the drastically inexperienced Broncos squad.
Coach Ivan Henjak says his gutsy half-back will need an off-season operation, but his injury won't have an influence of this weekend's game, regardless of whether or not he'll be targeted by the monstrous Raiders pack.
"Pete's going to play. He got through a physical this morning, so we're going to go with him," said Henjak.
"He saw the specialist on Tuesday and he needs surgery, but we're confident he'll be right to play this weekend."
"When Wal was made available, he was a natural choice for the No.7."
"It'll be important to have him there."
With Wallace passed fit, raw teenage talent Corey Norman will be the man to miss out, while Ben Hunt, who has played predominantly from the interchange bench this season, keeps his spot in the starting side.
Hunt's chance to direct play from five-eighth will come with the heightened pressure of both wearing Lockyer's jersey and replacing friend and team-mate Norman who has shown in recent weeks just how tough the role can be.
But while the Broncos have shown a desperation for direction from their second-receiver, Henjak isn't putting pressure on his young play-maker, and says it will take a collective effort for an improved performance.
"We're not worried about the fifteen (-point margin required) or winning, we're just concerned with a good performance and our heads held high," he said.
"There's enough pressure externally ... so if we worry about scoring the points or even winning the game, that won't help."
"We need to go out and execute well, put lots of effort in and not let each other down. If we can do that we'll have a good chance."
"If everyone does their job well, and (Hunt's) included in that, then we'll be fine."
"I'm not asking him to take any more responsibility than he normally has in a game."