Brighton Bears coach Nick Nurse has played down claims that his skipper will return for the National Cup final.

Randy Duck has admitted he is ready to take on Chester Jets in Birmingham on Sunday, despite suffering from a hernia.

He saw his depleted side win at London Towers on Saturday, then promised: "I'm going to play in the final if I have to drag myself. I'm planning on suiting up.

"It's painful. It doesn't ever let up. I don't have a comfort spot.

"I've always been the kind of person who has dealt with pain and carried on but I've never had anything like this.

"I will rest and on the 12th we will see how it goes."

Nurse however last night insisted there was no way Duck would play.

He said: "Randy is hurt badly. He can barely walk. Errol Seaman also has torn a ligament in his knee.

"These injuries definitely hurt us because they are both good players, but I'm not the kind of person that likes to cry over injury problems.

"We have to make the best of this situation. There's an old saying: 'There's nothing so dangerous as a wounded animal' and that's what we are."

Bears scored a superb 12-point win at Crystal Palace over Towers and the captain, who watched from the bench, believes the performance bodes well for the cup final.

He said: "They really proved something not only to London Towers but to themselves.

"That's a big ground to prove that on, on TV in front of a big crowd on an away surface where we lost before.

"There was no question who was the better team. They played with the confidence and swagger we had at the beginning of the season."

Highlights of Bears' win will feature prominently on Sky Sports 2 tonight (6.30pm). Fans are invited to watch the new 30-minute programme in the presence of the squad at Henry J. Bean's bar in West Street, Brighton.