INJURY-HIT fullback Billy Slater will make his return from a year on the sidelines in Melbourne’s NRL pre-season trial matches.

The Storm won’t risk the 33-year-old in February’s Auckland Nines, with a shoulder injury limiting the former Australian and Queensland star to eight games in two years.

Slater has lost the last two season to injury. Source: News Corp Australia

But assistant coach Jason Ryles said Slater will return to the field for the first time since round one of 2016 in the pre-season, seemingly removing any doubt over his readiness for the opening round of the NRL season. “(He’ll) definitely be playing in our 13 v 13 trials,” Ryles told Sky Sports Radio on Friday.

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“It’s not worth the risk sending a player of his quality to the Nines, I don’t think.” Slater has been on the comeback trail since re-aggravating the shoulder issue in March last year, shutting down his entire campaign.

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He managed seven games in 2015.

The 278-game veteran said in December his shoulder was not back to full strength and cast doubt on his prospects of returning to rugby league. But Ryles said he was progressing well, having returned to full contact at training this month.

Slater managed just one match in 2016. Source: News Corp Australia

“He’s training really well. He’s started his contact so he’s in pretty good shape at the moment. He’s increasing his contact every week,” he said.

“He’s been back in full training for quite a while now. Hopefully he translates that into a good NRL season.” Ryles said Slater’s return would allow Cameron Munster to shift into a ball- running role, with the stand-in fullback training at five-eighth in the off- season.

“There’s certainly a huge bonus having Bill back and also having Cameron Munster as a bit more of a runner,” he said.

STEWART’S FUTURE ON A KNIFE EDGE

Meanwhile Manly champion fullback Brett Stewart’s NRL career is hanging by a thread after he failed to receive clearance from club doctors to begin pre-season training.

The 31-year-old former NSW and Australian No.1 is facing retirement after missing the back end of last season with a chronic knee injury.

He has not played since June last year and is yet to get back on the paddock just six weeks out from the Sea Eagles’ season opener against Parramatta on March 5.

“The club is providing its full support as the record try scoring fullback continues his recovery from surgery last year,” the Sea Eagles said in a statement.

Stewart is considered one of the club’s all-time greats, having been a lynchpin of club’s golden era under Des Hasler and Geoff Toovey as well as holding the club record for most tries.

He sits sixth on the NRL all-time list for most tries having crossed the stripe 163 times during his illustrious 231-game, 14-season career.

However he struggled to make an impact during 2016 and coach Trent Barrett has Tom Trobojevic, widely considered the future of the club, waiting in the wings to assume the No.1 jumper.

Barrett’s side is facing an exodus of their most senior players with Steve Matai considering retirement because of an ongoing neck injury.