Earl on bench for Melbourne

SANDOR Earl is one step closer to an NRL return after being named on Melbourne’s extended bench for the clash with St George Illawarra tomorrow night.

Earl, who hasn’t played first grade since he was given a four-year ASADA ban as part of a peptides case, was signed by the Storm late last year.

However the 28-year-old injured his knee early in the pre-season for Melbourne, and only returned through the Storm’s Queensland Cup feeder-club Sunshine Coast last month.