James Maloney is slowly returning to full fitness after niggling injuries left him in a post-State of Origin daze for Penrith.
The NSW five-eighth admitted he was "a little bit busted" following the Panthers' late-game heist against Manly, but reckons the worst of his injury woes are in the rear-view mirror and will be fit to play Canberra on Sunday.
"(I'm) getting on top of a few things that are just niggling at the moment," the 32-year-old told Big Sports Breakfast on Tuesday.
"It's been a tough couple of weeks but looks like the worst of it is behind me.
"Hopefully, we can get rid of that and get back and ripping into some good footy."
Maloney injured his foot in NSW's Game III Origin loss and missed Penrith's loss to Cronulla alongside fellow Blues players Nathan Cleary and Tyrone Peachey, before being unable to train the following week prior to their loss to Brisbane.
And while he had a difficult afternoon against Manly on Saturday, Nathan Cleary stood tall late to help the Panthers pull off the fastest 18-point comeback in NRL history.
But Maloney said his mere presence had helped free Cleary up, a facet that will be vital as the Panthers look to make a deep run into September.
"His running game was back," he said.
"I think that's probably a bit of me taking a bit more pressure off him. If I can get my hands on the ball and take a little bit more control ... he can find his natural game more easily.
"Hopefully we can do that over the coming few weeks because it was great to see him back in some really nice form."
