NRL: Lyon has two days to prove fitness

Jamie Lyon is facing a race against time to prove his fitness for Friday's clash against the Cowboys. Photo / Getty Images

Jamie Lyon has two days to prove his fitness with Manly coach Geoff Toovey insisting his co-captain has to get through training if he is to play in Friday night's NRL semi-final against North Queensland.

Toovey said he would not risk going into the sudden-death match without Lyon testing out the calf muscle he strained in Friday night's qualifying final loss to Canterbury.

While the club will wait until midday on Tuesday to decide whether they will contest the high tackle charge that threatens to rub Steve Matai out of the Allianz Stadium clash, Lyon will need to be running by Thursday.

"He wants to play and that's always a good sign," Toovey said.

"We'll have to keep him with some medical staff, but hopefully if possible he'll be training in the next day or two.

"He'll have to if he's going to play. If he does do that, then obviously he'll be right."

But Toovey did indicate that even if Lyon was less than 100 per cent - he may gamble on playing the star centre.

"I think with the do-or-die game that we've got, you probably have to," Toovey said.

"He is, in my opinion, the best centre in the game and without those quality players it makes your job more difficult."

Toovey was clearly upset at the charge handed down to Matai, but gave no indication whether they would take the early guilty plea and one-week ban.

"It's just so subjective," Toovey said of the grade two careless high tackle charge.

"I don't know how they come up with the grading."

- AAP