Brisbane captain Darius Boyd hopes his enforced lay-off with a broken thumb will prove a blessing in disguise for the Broncos' push to the NRL finals.
Boyd is set to return against Parramatta at ANZ Stadium on Friday night after missing five weeks following surgery on the injury suffered in Queensland's State of Origin II win in Sydney.
Battling what is believed to be a hip injury, incumbent fullback Kodi Nikorima completed light duties away from the main group at training on Tuesday.
He is unlikely to play on Friday, meaning a straight swap with Boyd in the 17-man squad is likely.
Benji Marshall trained strongly and is set to retain his place on the bench.
Boyd admits his thumb was still playing on his mind this week but he's confident he can play at his best as the third-placed Broncos aim to consolidate their top-four standing.
"Yesterday I was wary of it a little bit in tackles and catching, but I felt confident today with it," Boyd said on Tuesday.
"I'm not sure (if I'm 100 per cent), you'd have to ask the physio but it's good to go and I've got the doctor's approval and it's about me being confident and going out there doing what I have to do."
Fullback Boyd's stint on the sidelines was made easier due to the Broncos' good form, while he also thinks the injury allowed him to freshen up his body.
"I'm hoping (it's a blessing); I feel pretty fresh running around," he said.
"I'm not getting any younger, so the legs are feeling pretty good."
The captain believed the Broncos were hitting their straps.
"Early on in the season we opened the shackles, we really wanted to play footy and play to our strengths," he said.
"We've done that and still maintained our quality defence as well."
While Boyd returns, Parramatta, in seventh place and just one win behind the Broncos, will be without their fullback star Clint Gutherson following his season-ending knee injury at the weekend.
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