AAP | 03/10/09 | 0
Veteran Parramatta prop Nathan Cayless has declared himself fit to captain the Eels in Sunday's NRL grand final against Melbourne at ANZ Stadium.
Cayless has won the race to recover from a hamstring strain, which at the start of the week looked almost certain to end his second shot at a premiership title with the Parramatta club.
An intense week of physio, chiro, acupuncture and a somewhat alternative treatment, Scenar, has helped the 31-year-old get across the line in time for Sunday's decider.
Scenar, or self-controlled energo neuro adaptive regulator, is an advanced medical treatment device which is non-invasive and delivers pain-relieving therapy.
Cayless completed his second full training session in as many days on Saturday and was running and stepping freely in wet conditions at Parramatta Stadium.
The Eels players applauded their courageous skipper from the park at the end of the session, before boarding their coach bound for the undisclosed team hotel.
"Yeah (I'm fine to play)," Cayless said after the Eels' final training session.
"(Training) went really well. The physio and chiro have done a great job. I've been bathing in PainAway, rubbing cream on that.
"I also thank Chris from Scenar Health, I've done a lot of work with him well.
"I'm very happy to be playing."
Coach Daniel Anderson was visibly pleased Cayless had overcome the injury.
"Nathan did last night's session and today's session. He's done two sessions, so he'll play. I'm very happy," Anderson said.
"The boys are happy he's playing and happy that he gets an opportunity to participate.
"We didn't expect him to train last night but he did, so that was a bonus."
Cayless joins teammates Nathan Hindmarsh and Luke Burt as the only remaining members of the 2001 team which was beaten in the grand final by Newcastle after finishing minor premiers.
Eels physio Kieran Morgan said he had endured an "intense week" with Cayless and was confident he was fit to play a big role on Sunday.
"He did a fair amount of running (today) and he looked good," Morgan said.
"Nathan's always been pretty good with managing his injuries.
"He was up all night using a new machine which is actually ice and compression at the same time ... after that then it was just getting his function back and strength and just treating it with everything.
"He's been getting chiro, he's been getting acupuncture, dry needling it.
"Feeling good, it will be up to him and the coach to make an honest decision."
Meanwhile Eels forward Joe Galavao, who won a premiership with Penrith in 2003, is feeling confident and relaxed heading into his second grand final.
"I've tried to enjoy the week, my wife's more nervous than I am," Galavao said.
"Last time she said was hard to handle, but this week she's enjoyed it more because I'm relaxed."
Galavao confirmed standby prop Broderick Wright will still warm up with the team on Sunday.
The Eels happily greeted a group of dedicated fans, who watched training from outside the closed stadium in the rain.
I've been bathing in PainAway, rubbing cream on that.
Nathan Cayless, Eels skipper
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