Parramatta star Jarryd Hayne's premiership dream remains alive after he was charged with just a level one offence for kneeing Bryson Goodwin, freeing him to play in next Sunday's decider with an early guilty plea.
Dally M winner Hayne was placed on report in the fourth minute of the Eels' 22-12 victory over the Bulldogs for his knee-first challenge on Goodwin but will be allowed to line up against the Melbourne Storm after the NRL's match review panel adjudged the incident a level one offence.
Hayne will formally enter a guilty plea on Monday morning, activating a 25 percent reduction to his charge and reducing the penalty below the 100-point (one-game suspension) mark.
However, Hayne has only just scraped in as he had 20 carryover points to his name due to a dangerous throw charge from a game against Brisbane last year.
Eels rake Matt Keating was also placed on report for a chicken-wing tackle on Ben Hannant two minutes before half-time. But Keating will be also allowed to play if he pleads guilty to a level one dangerous conduct offence.
Although Parramatta chief executive Paul Osborne said he hadn't been overly concerned by the charges, he admitted contacting prominent Sydney lawyer and player's representative Geoff Bellew after Friday night's game.
"I'll be honest I haven't been too worried because I've had Geoff Bellew on the job for me and he was confident neither player had a case to answer," Osborne told Sportal on Sunday afternoon.
"Both players have been hit with grade one charges but I'm just glad they're both available for the grand final."
"For the life of me I don't know what else he (Hayne) could have done. He was trying to stop a try and didn't lead with his feet."
The only worry for Parramatta now is skipper Nathan Cayless who will be racing the clock to be fit after limping from the field against the Bulldogs with a hamstring injury.
But Osborne is confident Cayless will join Hayne and Keating in the Parramatta side that takes on the Storm.
"He's a lot better than first thought," Osborne said. "He had a scan yesterday and it's only a strain not a tear."
"It's not as bad as (Krisnan) Inu's was and he only missed one game and he (Cayless) still has plenty of time before the game."
Meanwhile, Eels captain Nathan Cayless is still a chance to play in the grand final despite injuring his hamstring in the win.
"The scans came up pretty well yesterday which gave me more of a hope to play on Sunday. At the end of the day I'll get all the treatment done and have the fitness test later in the week and we'll see how the leg comes through the fitness test," he told BigPond Sports Weekend
"Later in the week I'll give it a real good workout for about forty minutes or an hour and if get through that session and then the team run I'll go into the game with a lot of confidence. There's a chance I'll tear it in the fitness test going on what the physio has told me I'll have to do to get through the game."
"If there's a chance of hurting it again early in the game I'll take that risk into calculation because there are a lot of guys that deserve to win a Grand Final ... I've just got to be smart with it and so far our medical staff have been great."