ALTHOUGH he's been undergoing a battery of tests to determine the strength of his restructured knee, Canberra Raiders skipper Terry Campese says mental strength will be the final factor in determining his comeback date.
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Campese says his return match could come as early as next Sunday's blockbuster against the Sydney Roosters and Sonny Bill Williams at Canberra Stadium, but the 28-year-old is not giving himself or Raiders fans false hope.
Having suffered three season-ending injuries in his past nine NRL games, he remains cautious.
''Anywhere between next weekend until round 10,'' Campese says when asked to predict his return date. ''I go in every Monday and talk to the staff and the physio and doctors and get either a 'yes' or 'no' for that weekend. So far it's been a no. I'm just waiting for a yes.
''I'm doing all the contact and skills sessions with the guys now. I've been doing that for the past three or four weeks and I'm just counting down the days, really.''
To when, exactly?
Campese refuses to say. But early this week he will undergo strength testing at the University of Canberra, which will give him a better idea.
The Raiders have been secretive about the off-site sessions, refusing to discuss them or Campese's results.
The one-hour sessions involve a series of tests to determine the relative strength between Campese's left and right legs. There are hop tests, exercises with weights and stabilisation drills that involve all the major muscle groups.
Campese is recovering from the second reconstruction of his left knee. Because he is naturally right-footed, medical staff have determined that Campese's left leg must be at least 90 per cent as strong as his right to ensure balance. Only when this is reached would he be considered ready to make a comeback. He is getting close.
''I've done that a couple of times already and I'm definitely on the improve,'' he said. ''It's just about getting that final strength in my leg and then it's right to go.
''There's always going to be a little bit of a difference [in strength between the legs], but it's about trying to reduce that as much as possible.''
It was on April 13 last year - during round seven - that Campese's knee last buckled beneath him. Given it was the second time he had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, doctors estimated a 12-month recovery. But Campese and the club are also wary of any mental scarring. He has played only eight of Canberra's past 53 matches because of injury.
''I think that's the biggest box you've got to tick off - believing in yourself. There's no point going out there if all the [strength] tests are right and within yourself you're not feeling 100 per cent. But, to be honest, I've been looking at the past month of training with the boys and I'm feeling really good.
''Every session is getting easier and I'm thinking about the knee less and less.
''You've got to be patient. I want to be 100 per cent within myself that I'm ready to go. [The decision to return] is probably 80 per cent in my head, to be honest.
''As long as I'm definitely confident and can go out there and play a game of football without thinking about it - that's the biggest hurdle you've got to overcome.
''That's the main thing we're waiting on - my confidence.''
Despite being captain and chief playmaker for the Raiders, Campese does not expect to walk straight back into the team. He would be willing to return via the NSW Cup if necessary, especially if halves Josh McCrone and Sam Williams were in form, saying, ''I'll do whatever is right for the team''.
He would not be drawn on the sacking of Josh Dugan or Canberra's poor start to the season. But the former Australian five-eighth said they still had belief.
''The goal is the same as it always was, to be in the top four, get a home semi-final and win the grand final,'' he said.
