Roosters star Joseph Manu will be named to face Cronulla on Saturday night

Roosters superstar centre Joseph Manu is “looking good” in his recovery from a hamstring strain and the club is set to give him until Friday’s captain’s run to prove his fitness for Saturday’s elimination final against Cronulla.

The Golden Boot winner missed last week’s must-win showdown with the Rabbitohs after he injured his hamstring early on in the blowout victory over the Wests Tigers in Round 26.

Manu hasn’t started high-intensity running and will need to prove his fitness during three key sessions this week.

“He’s looking good. He’s training hard,” Roosters edge forward Nat Butcher said.

“Hopefully, he should be right come Saturday.

“I know he’s done all the weights and that stuff, and I think he’s now starting to get through that running process and ticking some boxes before joining the team later in the week.

“Joey is a great player and one of the best that we have. He’s a player who knows how to excel in the big moments in the big games and under the most amount of pressure, so it’d be great to have him back if he can make it.”

The Roosters desperately need their attacking ace on the field given his ability to create something out of nothing, but star five-eighth Luke Keary is confident the club has the depth to cover him if he’s not cleared to return.

Former Queensland representative Corey Allan filled in at right centre last week and opened the scoring, while he also held his own against South Sydney’s potent left edge.

He wasn’t the only late call-up, with the unheralded Junior Pauga playing a starring role in place of hulking winger Daniel Tupou, who rocked up to Roosters headquarters with a heavy limp and his left knee in a brace.

The club’s leading try scorer missed the South Sydney game and is next to no chance of making a miracle recovery in time for Saturday’s clash.

Veteran prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves will also miss the game due to a seven-match suspension, but Keary says the Roosters have the depth to get the job done, although he’s holding out hope that Manu will overcome his soft tissue injury.

“We haven’t trained yet this week, so I’m gathering they’ll give him every chance on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. They probably won’t know until Wednesday or Friday,” he said.

“To lose Joey, Jared and ‘Toops’ last week wasn’t ideal for us, but I thought Junior, Coz (Allan) and those middle forwards did a fantastic job, especially Junior and Corey.

“If we get him (Manu) back, then that’s great, but I’ve got a lot of belief in Coz because he’s such a good footy player.

“If Joey doesn’t make it, then I’m more than happy with Corey.”