BBC SPORT | Rugby League | Cunningham's winning potion



By Dave Woods BBC Sport in Sydney

Live commentary of the game on BBC Sport Online and BBC Five Live Sports Extra from 1015BST on Friday

If Keiron Cunningham can help Great Britain to achieve the impossible in Sydney, he will have a few old wives to thank.

The hooker, rated even by the Aussies as the best in the world, almost missed out again facing the Kangaroos with a hand injury.

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But some old fashioned cures that modern medicine long since forgot has made him fit and ready to face the Green and Golds.

Cunningham had a hand injury
"When I first got the hand injury, I thought I was going to miss my chance again, " said Cunningham, who frustratingly had to sit out the last Test series last Autumn with a groin injury.

"But I've got my own methods for healing that I keep using every time I get injured and it seems to work, getting me back on the field early.

"I was devastated at the time, the build up was to play for Lancashire in the Origin series and then play over here. Well I missed the Origin, but I'm here now and that's all that matters."

Cunningham isn't giving away the secret herbal mix he uses to cure his injuries, he's hoping it can make him a millionaire once he's stopped playing.

"It's a secret, maybe when I've finished playing I might bottle it and sell it on and make a fortune," he laughs.

"It's just something I've used for years, an old time herbal remedy that people have forgotten about over time. And it's 100% legal."

Playing for Great Britain is Cunningham's main professional goal, hence when he had the chance to switch codes and play union for Wales he turned it down at the last minute.

He couldn't resist the opportunity of pulling on the red, white and blue to have more cracks at Australia.

"I've been itching to get a Great Britain shirt back on.

"One of the reasons for me to stop in the game was based on that stuff."

He also plays down his 'best-in-the-world' tag.

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"Danny Buderus [Australian Test hooker] has been playing outstandingly and I missed the Lancashire games, so he's played more representative football than me.

"He's probably better than I am at the moment. I have not had the best preparation, but I'll give it my best shot.

"It'll mean so much to our game if we win. It would give us a great boost and would put our sport on the International map a bit more than we are at the moment.

"People would start believing in British rugby league again if we can beat the Aussies."

And if Cunningham is the linchpin in a British victory, one or two doctors will be dusting down some of their more ancient tomes to see if they can find his secret cures.