Storm centre Justin Olam says he had been wanting ahead to going residence to PNG earlier than NRL finals reprieve

Melbourne centre Justin Olam thought his season was performed after being dropped in July.

The Papua New Guinea star struggled to search out his explosive greatest this 12 months after a collection of harm setbacks curtailed his pre-season.

Olam’s axing after the Storm’s spherical 21 defeat to Newcastle appeared to spell the tip for him in first grade 2023.

And the 29-year-old was content material with that.

“I by no means thought I used to be going to return again in (this season) as a result of the boys have been taking part in rather well,” Olam instructed AAP.

“It is laborious to alter a successful group.

“That was my mindset. I used to be simply wanting ahead to going residence (to PNG after the season ended), have a break and are available again able to go for pre-season.

“But it surely was good that I used to be able to play after which the chance got here for me to return again and play first grade once more.”

Olam was instructed to enhance his health earlier than returning to the Storm’s 17.

Groin points and a damaged arm throughout a trial match in February meant he was already coming from a low base when he made his first look of the season in spherical three in opposition to Gold Coast.

“I’ve had some issues that I wanted to work on (since being dropped), and I am nonetheless engaged on, that the coaches wished me to do,” Olam mentioned.

“There’s some issues with my health that I wanted to work on, particularly as a result of I had a fairly dangerous run in pre-season.

“I did not actually get the great conditioning that I wanted throughout pre-season so I have been engaged on that the previous couple of weeks and have misplaced a couple of kgs.”

In addition to winger Reimis Smith, Olam was introduced out of exile for the Storm’s sudden-death semi-final in opposition to the Sydney Roosters final Friday night time.