The NRL will allow Sandor Earl to return to training once his drug ban is over

THE NRL will allow Sandor Earl to commence training and one club is on the verge of throwing him a lifeline, meaning he could play late this year.

Sandor Earl could be playing NRL by the end of the year.

Melbourne Storm is on the verge of throwing an NRL lifeline to drug outcast Sandor Earl — and he could even play late this year.

Earl’s four-year suspension for using and trafficking performance-enhancing drugs is up on August 29 but the NRL has ruled he can commence training with Storm at the beginning of August.

Whether he actually plays this year will be determined by Storm’s injury situation leading into the finals. He can return for Round 26 and the finals.

Storm’s football manager Frank Ponissi has confirmed the club’s interest in the 27-year-old former Canberra Raiders and Penrith Panthers winger who now lives in Melbourne and works as a personal trainer.

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Sandor Earl could be playing NRL by the end of the year.

“You never say never,” Ponissi said when asked if Earl might play at the back end of the season.

Their club and coach Craig Bellamy have a wonderful record in resurrecting the careers of players.

Brett Finch, Blake Green, Cheyse Blair, Clint Newton, who was axed by the Newcastle Knights, and Marika Koroibete who was cut by the Wests Tigers and unwanted elsewhere.

The NRL will allow Earl to sign after the June 30 deadline — like they did with Jarryd Hayne last year — because he is not contracted to another club.

“We haven’t said yes or no but he’s based in Melbourne and we’ll definitely have a chat,” Ponissi said, “Look, we’re probably more looking at him for 2018 but you never say never.

“It could be fast tracked if we had to. To bring a bloke back who hasn’t played for four years you’d probably be thinking you’d get him back into your system through the feeder teams.

“Our opinion is that by August, he’s served his four years and we all know he can play.”

Meanwhile the comeback plans of champion fullback Billy Slater have stalled again.

He has been ruled out of the trial against the Canterbury Bulldogs in Hobart and could miss the opening rounds of the competition.

“We’d hoped Billy might play in this final trial,” Ponissi said, “but he’s still got a bit of work to do.

“We’d rather wait a couple of weeks to be totally sure.

“The aim now is to have him back in the first month of the competition.