It has been done before but Daly Cherry-Evans' remarkable return from ankle surgery still has Queensland doctor Matt Hislop shaking his head in disbelief.
Newly-crowned Maroons skipper Cherry-Evans appeared to clear any doubt over his availability for this week's State of Origin opener when he ran freely at Sunday night's opposed training session against Queensland Cup side Ipswich.
Initially ruled out for up to nine weeks when he went down for NRL club Manly, the halfback is set to run out barely a month later against NSW in Origin I on Wednesday night.
Maroons doctor Hislop said Canterbury playmaker Kieran Foran had made a similar recovery from an ankle complaint this year, missing just five weeks before launching an NRL return from surgery.
But Hislop still dipped his hat to Cherry-Evans after he appeared to get the all clear along with other injury concerns Jai Arrow (quad) and Moses Mbye (groin) ahead of the Origin series opener.
"It will be five weeks on Wednesday night from when he had surgery so it will certainly be pushing the envelope," Hislop said of DCE's recovery.
"But he is a remarkable athlete who does everything to look after himself, been working hard with our physio and has turned it around.
"He is looking good."
But Hislop admitted he had some anxious moments despite Foran setting a precedent.
"I certainly had my concerns coming into camp but he has ticked very box, we are very happy," he said of Cherry-Evans.
"The normal turnaround would be seven to nine weeks - now we are talking five for Daly.
"It has been done before with Kieran Foran. It (fast tracking ankle surgery recovery) is possible but it is really pushing it."
Hislop all but gave the green light to their other fitness concerns - bench utility Mbye and prop Arrow - despite the pair missing the NRL round before the Maroons side came into camp last week.
"Moses was never really a concern. Wests Tigers pulled him more as a precaution," he said.
"And Jai was a low grade quad strain and he has done really well.
"Everyone trained and everyone is looking well on track - we are hoping we will fill the full team."
