Melbourne's Ryan Papenhuyzen will sit out a sixth-straight NRL match on Thursday but Storm coach Craig Bellamy is confident a return is close for the fullback.
Papenhuyzen has been sidelined by ongoing concussion symptoms since being knocked out by a high shot during the Storm's round-10 clash with St George Illawarra in May.
The 23-year-old is again unavailable for Thursday's clash with the Sydney Roosters but the Storm are hopeful of a return for their match against Newcastle on July 17.
"It's still up in the air a bit but over the last two or three weeks he's come a long way," Bellamy said.
"Obviously he was a little bit slow with his recovery or what our medical people thought would be how he was tracking towards recovery.
"His last two or three weeks and this week, especially, I've noticed he's got a real bounce and a real enthusiasm with his training.
"He's done a lot more with the team now than over those last two or three weeks, so I'd like to think and I'm pretty much sure that it won't be too long before Paps is back."
The Clive Churchill Medallist's absence hasn't hugely affected the Storm, who head into Thursday's clash with the Roosters on a 12-game winning run which has catapulted the premiers to the top of the competition ladder.
Bellamy is also tipping he'll find a way to integrate both Papenhuyzen and the in-form Nicho Hynes into the same lineup.
"It'll be, I suppose, a little bit of a headache for us but they're the sort of headaches you like having," the veteran coach said.
"I'm pretty sure we'll be able to fit both of them in there somewhere."
