The most crucial NRL game of Melbourne prop Jordan McLean’s young career might end up being one he never played in.

A hamstring injury meant McLean was ruled out of the Storm’s round 22 match against the Knights, which was his first visit to Newcastle since his involvement in a spear tackle back in March that left their player Alex McKinnon with a broken neck and in a wheelchair.

McLean was suspended for seven weeks but beyond that carried a heavy burden for his role, despite most deeming it a tragic accident.

Ahead of their elimination NRL final against Canterbury at AAMI Park on Sunday, Storm coach Craig Bellamy revealed that McLean’s experience watching the match in the stands in Newcastle in early August had helped lift a weight from his broad shoulders.

The Storm were fearful that the 22-year-old may have faced some abuse from Knights supporters.

Instead they embraced McLean.

“The Knights club and also some of the supporters were really good to him and I think that was a thing that really lifted his spirits,” Bellamy said on Thursday.

“We’re very thankful of the Knights as a club and the people in the crowd who were supportive of him which was really nice.

“I think that really helped him settle down a bit and that might be a reason he’s playing such good footy at the moment.”

As the biggest player in the Storm line-up, standing a formidable 196cm and weighing 118kg, McLean gives the Storm some much-needed punch up the middle.

He has been named on the bench for their clash with Canterbury, who boast some of the best props in the game including Englishman James Graham and former Storm forward Aiden Tolman.

Fellow Storm enforcer Jesse Bromwich said players like McLean could make a difference.

“Jordan has been really good for us in the last month and having that extra size really helps, especially against big teams like the Bulldogs,” Bromwich said.