MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JUNE 15: Edrick Lee of the Knights runs with the ball during the round 14 NRL match between the Melbourne Storm and the Newcastle Knights at AAMI Park on June 15, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
Off-contract Newcastle Knights’ winger Edrick Lee is set to be given one last chance at forcing his way back into the NRL.
Lee, who played a single game for Queensland during the 2020 State of Origin series – a shock win for the Maroons at that – has battled through multiple injuries during his time at the Knights.
Debuting at the Canberra Raiders in 2012 as a prodigiously talented young winger, he played 67 games for the club, before moving to the Cronulla Sharks where he managed just 24 games in two years.
His move to the Knights ahead of the 2019 season brought even less joy, with injuries limiting him to just 25 games in three seasons at the Hunter-based club, despite scoring 12 tries in that time.
He failed to make a single appearance in 2021, and with his three-year contract expired, he was reportedly looking for a new club to call home, according to a Newcastle Herald report.
GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 21: Edrick Lee of the Knights attempts to break free from the defence of Bryce Cartwright of the Titans during the round 6 NRL match between the Titans and the Knights at Cbus Super Stadium on April 21, 2019 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
That search has fallen on deaf ears, but the Knights aren’t quite finished with Lee yet, who, in between injuries during 2019 and 2020, had locked down a wing spot at the Knights.
It’s understood the Knights have now offered Lee a train and trial deal for the summer to prove he can still handle the rigours of the NRL.
If he is successful in training with the first-grade squad, then the club could opt to offer him a one-year deal to be part of the 2022 top 30.
Even a deal wouldn’t promise Lee first-grade time though. His towering height is a mammoth advantage, particularly given the kicking game of Jake Clifford, however, Enari Tuala, who moved from centre to wing in the second half of 2021, and Hymel Hunt, have the wing spots locked down and will likely be given first chance in 2022.
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 04: Jake Clifford of the Knights passes the ball during the round 25 NRL match between the Brisbane Broncos and the Newcastle Knights at Suncorp Stadium, on September 04, 2021, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
Starford To’a and Dominic Young are also in the mix for time on the wing, potentially pushing Lee back to fifth in line after his season off through injury.
The Knights confirmed to The Newcastle Herald that Lee is back in training.
“It’s just a waiting game,” Newcastle recruitment manager Clint Zammit told the publication.
“He’s back in training so we just need to see how he handles that.
“Hopefully it goes well, but we’ll be largely guided by the medical advice.”
Source:: ZeroTackle
