It can be a frustrating experience supporting the club through thick and thin this year, but knowing that you could have made a difference on the field yet weren’t able to do so because of injury, now that is frustrating!
That is exactly how Edrick Lee has felt for the majority of 2014.
You do remember Edrick Lee right?
The talented winger with the signuature hair style who featured on the club’s membership commercial alongside Jarrod Croker after scoring 15 spectacular tries in just 16 appearances for the Green Machine since making his debut in late 2012?
He’s a hard man to forget.
Charismatic on the field and a constant threat on it, Lee started the year in tremendous form scoring two tries in his first two appearances however the 22 year old lasted just 32 minutes in the Round 3 clash with the Gold Coast Titans after suffering a lisfranc injury to his foot.
Lee was subsequently ruled for the rest of the season due to the extent of the injury but the professionalism he has portrayed during his rehabilitation has seen him return well ahead of schedule.
And now he plans to make his presence felt and lift his beloved Raiders from off the bottom of the NRL ladder.
“I’m very excited to be back for the Raiders and I can’t wait to run out in the lime green jersey again with the boys on Saturday night,” Lee said.
“It was a very disappointing feeling for me to be told that my injury would be a season ending one because my season was cut short by injury the year before too.
“This year has been hard for me and I've found it very frustrating not to be able to play. What has been particularly frustrating is the fact that the side hasn’t been going too well and I can’t do anything about it.
“I hate that helpless feeling of sitting in the stands watching the boys play and knowing that I could be out there making a difference but not being able to do anything about it.
“I can’t wait to get back out there and remind everyone what I can do and hopefully get a win for the club and our members.”
Lee's frustration has been shared by Coach Ricky Stuart has rued not being able to utilise one of the side’s genuine strike weapons.
“It’s been frustrating not having Eddie there,” Stuart said. “We’ve had to chop and change all year with our outside backs to try and get some quality combinations and cohesion going there.
“We’ve really missed Edrick all season. He’s unique; he’s big, he’s fast and he’s very good in the air on that edge for us and that’s something that we’ve missed all year.
“It’s great to see him back in the team this week and running around with the boys at training again.”
Far from being eased back into first grade, Lee will go head to head with Semi Radrada, the competition’s leading try scorer.
“Semi Radrada has had a great year and it will be a tough challenge for me to come up against him in my first game back but I’m ready,” Lee said.
“I can’t wait to get out there and help the boys out. It’s been a tough year for our members and for the club as a whole and although we can’t make the semi-finals we want to finish the year on a high and build towards a successful 2015.”
