Cronulla captain Paul Gallen is a certain starter for the pivotal NRL clash against Parramatta, coach Shane Flanagan has confirmed.

Gallen had been in doubt with a foot injury that kept him from training earlier in the week but Flanagan said his key player trained strongly on Friday.

“When you’re getting a bit older, sometimes you don’t train at the start of the week. He trained well today, trained as Gal does on the captain’s run and he’ll be there tomorrow,” Flanagan said.

“He has had a few little bumps and bruises carried on from pre-season. He struggled to get ready for week one. He got ready for week one, and he was okay for week two.”

Flanagan also ruled out a return for veteran Luke Lewis, who has yet to appear this season due to a foot injury but was named on an extended bench earlier this week.

“Lewie trained well today but he’ll be next week. (We’ve got a) short turnaround into Melbourne so Lewie will be ready to go for next Friday night,” Flanagan said.

Gallen’s inclusion is crucial for a Sharks side that are considered premiership heavyweights but have stumbled to two defeats over the opening fortnight of the competition.

Only 28 per cent of the 39 teams that have started 0-2 in the past decade have recovered to make the finals.

However, Flanagan is adamant his team isn’t far off the pace.

“There’s not a lot been poor or bad, it’s just been that we haven’t got the two competition points and that’s what it’s all about in the end,” Flanagan said.

“We need to find those two competition points. No matter how we get it, if it’s one point or 10 points, we just need to find a win.”