Raiders prop Tom Learoyd-Lahrs has enlisted a ''body shop'' of medicos that he hopes can extend his NRL career in Canberra, and revive his representative hopes.
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Learoyd-Lahrs rates 2014 as one of the most important of his 10-year NRL career, the 28-year-old coming off contract and fighting back from a rare season-ending foot injury.
Three years ago Learoyd-Lahrs was in the form of his life, representing NSW for the entire Origin series and Australia in four Tests.
But after playing only eight games in this year due to injury, Learoyd-Lahrs admits he's under mounting pressure.
Determined not to let his NRL career ''fade away prematurely'', Learoyd-Lahrs is working with medical specialists to help keep his body in check during a defining pre-season.
He has been seeing Raiders physiotherapist, Konrad Schultz, daily - sometimes twice a day - since returning to training on October 31.
He has also been organising his weekly acupuncture with Dr David Tow and osteopathic treatment with Dr BJ Field.
''They're doing a few things trying to get my body lined up and making sure everything's working and all my muscles are switched on,'' Learoyd-Lahrs said. ''The last three years I've picked up a lot of niggling injuries and that's stemmed my progress.
''I'm nowhere near ready to give the game away, I'm only 28 and my passion for the game is still there. I don't want my career to fade away prematurely.
''I just want to be smart about it and try and do everything I can to give myself the chance to play well.''
The Raiders have a plethora of props to choose from - David Shillington, Brett White, Dane Tilse, Paul Vaughan and Learoyd-Lahrs - most likely to fight for places on the regular prop rotation.
Provided he can get his body right, Learoyd-Lahrs is confident he can even break back into representative football.
''I know if I can string some footy together, back-to-back, and stay injury free, I'm very hopeful rep football's not out of the question,'' he said.
''It's been a topsy-turvy period the last three years, through injury and form. I don't think I've had a clean crack at it since 2010 when both my body and form have both lined up … That's what I'm working towards.''
Learoyd-Lahrs played all his Origin representative football at NSW under coach Craig Bellamy, but was overlooked for the Blues in 2011 when Ricky Stuart took over.
But Learoyd-Lahrs, who hasn't played since tearing a tendon in his foot in May, said he forced himself not to over-train during the off-season in a bid to impress the new Raiders coaching staff.
Instead, he escaped to Cape York for three weeks of fishing.
''That was the hardest thing for me, to sit back and not train, knowing there's a new coach coming on board, a whole new staff and competition for spots. But I had to look at the big picture,'' he said.
''In the past I've probably overcooked myself by training too much in the off-season and I've paid the price.''
Learoyd-Lahrs has played 118 games in 10 NRL seasons.
New Raiders assistant coach and former NSW and Australian prop Dean Pay said fitness was the key to reigniting his rep career.
''I've spoken to Tommy … if he can get a number of games under his belt, hopefully we'll see him back in a couple of representative teams,'' Pay said.
