Brisbane skipper Darius Boyd wouldn't be surprised if Andrew McCullough pulls off yet another Wolverine-like recovery to play in Thursday's NRL clash with Canterbury.
Hooker McCullough was supposed to be out for up to six weeks after suffering a hyper-extended elbow against the Melbourne Storm in round seven.
But he was back training on Monday and is in contention to make what would be a shock comeback against the Bulldogs at Suncorp Stadium.
"I really hope so," Boyd told reporters on Tuesday when asked if McCullough would feature.
"I think they were saying it was a four-week injury. If he plays this week it's one and a half.
"He's a special character, Macca. He's got a habit of coming back from injuries early."
It certainly wouldn't be the first time McCullough has subverted medical expectations.
The 28-year-old underwent a knee reconstruction after a dreaded ACL injury late last year but returned to play off the bench in the Broncos' season-opener - seven months after surgery.
In 2016, he suffered a hamstring injury that was forecast to keep him out for six weeks - but he missed only two games.
"Some of the boys think he's pretending, because he keeps coming back so early," Boyd said.
"He's just the ultimate professional.
"If he has to ice it for five hours, he'll probably ice it for 10.
"If he has to have a three days off he'll only have two.
"He's just that kind of person that won't leave any stone unturned.
"He'll do anything that's possible and go above and beyond to make sure he's back and ready to go to help the team, which is a credit to him."
It'd also mean one less headache for Broncos coach Wayne Bennett, who appeared to be running out of hooking options.
McCullough's absence was compounded by an ankle injury to Josh McGuire, who wore the No.9 jersey in their win over South Sydney last weekend.
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