Retiring St George Illawarra veteran Jason Nightingale will make his return from injury for the NRL clash with Canterbury, coach Paul McGregor has revealed.
Nightingale has missed the past two games due to a bulging disc in his neck but has recovered in time for the Dragons' finals push.
Nightingale's place in the Dragons' line-up appeared under threat when he was moved into a utility role off the bench for a month mid-season.
But he returned to the wing last month only to then suffer his neck injury.
Asked whether the 31-year-old had played his final game for the club, McGregor said on Fox Sports' NRL 360: "Definitely not. He'll play this weekend."
Whether he goes back to his spot on the right flank on Sunday remains to be seen, with McGregor opting for rookie Jordan Pereira on the wing.
Regular utility Kurt Mann is filling in for injured captain Gareth Widdop in the halves.
Nightingale's expected recall would give him the chance to surpass club legend Ben Creagh as the second most capped player in Dragons history.
McGregor said Nightingale had come a long way from the skinny kid who needed to put on weight during his early years at the club.
He's the only player remaining from the club's most recent premiership in 2010.
"The numbers he's got across the game are quite incredible," McGregor said.
"From where he's started, his natural ability when I first laid eyes on Jase, he was only just a skinny young kid. But we had to put weight on him in the gym.
"And the big thing is as he's got older, he's been a great mentor to young men to come through our club because his work ethic at training rubs off on people.
"They understand the player he is and where they need to work to get to."
Australian Associated Press
