Nathan Cayless will lead out the Eels tonight. Photo / Getty Images

Nathan Cayless will lead out the Eels tonight. Photo / Getty Images

Nathan Cayless has tried everything from acupuncture to massage and ice compression to electric-shock therapy and it appears to have paid off.

The Eels captain came through training yesterday in slippery conditions and is expected to lead Parramatta out for their first grand final since 2001 against Melbourne tonight.

Hopes of his involvement were raised on Friday when the 31-year-old completed a full training session, something Eels coach Daniel Anderson described as "not a light run".

"Yeah [I'm fine to play]," Cayless declared after the Eels' final training session yesterday. "[Training] went really well. I'm very happy to be playing."

So was Anderson. The Eels coach was hoping his leader and most experienced player would recover in time and give the rest of his players a boost.

Cayless joins team-mates Nathan Hindmarsh and Luke Burt as the only remaining members of the 2001 team that was beaten in the grand final by Newcastle after finishing minor premiers.

"Nathan did [Friday] 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 [on Friday] night but he did, so that was a bonus."

Cayless looked a forlorn figure when he limped from the field early in his side's 22-12 win over the Bulldogs last weekend with a torn hamstring. But he maintained his belief he would recover in time.

He underwent intensive physiotherapy, acupuncture and ice baths to help him overcome one of the most talked about injuries in a grand final build-up.

He also spent time receiving electric-shock treatment. Scenar, or self-controlled energo neuro adaptive regulator, is an advanced medical treatment device which is non-invasive and delivers pain-relieving therapy.

Standby prop Broderick Wright will still warm up with the team tonight in case Cayless has a recurrence of the injury.

Meanwhile, Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy admitted nothing his side does today will ever replace the feeling of last year's embarrassing grand final loss to Manly.

With the record 40-0 flogging still burning deep inside, Bellamy said he would instruct his players to completely forget about that sorry ANZ Stadium experience as his team prepare to return to the ground for the first time since that fateful night.

"Last year is dead and buried. We can't change it. If we win this year, they're not going to give us the rings for last year as well."

- AP