Parramatta's Nathan Cayless to undergo fitness test on Saturday afternoon
By Josh Massoud
October 03, 2009
In the space of just one week, Nathan Cayless's hamstring has become a temple to every discipline known to physiotherapy.
Needling. Massage. Acupuncture. Ice compression. And most intriguingly, electric shock therapy.
Aching to lead Parramatta to their first premiership in 23 years, the Eels skipper has plugged his upper leg into a criss-cross of currents to recover from rugby league's most-discussed hamstring strain.
In between the icing, the stretching, and the rubbing Cayless has used a Russian-conceived contraption known as an Interferential Current Unit.
The device shoots electricity through two diagonal wires, which intersect at the epicentre of the injury. Pads attach the wires to the skin, and current can be adjusted to promote restorative blood flow to the affected region.
Parramatta physio Vicki Locke, who has kneaded her fingers to the bone on Cayless's leg this week, confirmed the club had turned to interferential technology to help their captain courageous overcome the odds.
"The basic theory is that the electrical currents inhibit the body's pain signals, to give the player temporary relief," Locke said.
"They also generate extra blood flow to the region, which aids a quicker recovery."
Regardless of whether or not Cayless plays, Locke knows the 31-year-old has done "everything possible ... and then some" to realise his grand final dream.
It will be either shattered or celebrated on the outcome of an exacting 20-minute fitness test at Parramatta Stadium early Saturday afternoon.
Locke confirmed the drill would simulate every physical demand a front-rower could expect to encounter during a real match. Cayless will be asked to tackle, wrestle, pivot, pass and play the ball.
But pulses will truly rise when he is called upon to sprint. He will need to hit top speed - and do so without re-injuring his hamstring - to pass. He will then need to stop at top speed - an equally risky ask - to play.
"It will be the best possible match simulation we can achieve," Locke said. "Nathan will have to do everything, including sprinting and stopping while sprinting.
"I'd love nothing more than for him to get through. He epitomises a professional. He's done everything and more to get himself fit for this grand final."
Cayless's quest started with two sleepless nights immediately after the Bulldogs game, during which he used an ice compression unit to reduce swelling. Monday morning signalled the start of Locke's three-time daily sessions, which have tested the full gamut of her professional knowledge.
However, even after all their time together, she still does not feel equipped to rate Cayless's chances of surviving his fitness test.
"I won't even give him a percentage chance. We just don't know until the fitness test," Locke said. "I will say he's a much better chance and in a much better position than at the start of the week.
"But realistically I can't even say one way or another. It's just a case of fingers crossed."
