Brisbane rake Andrew McCullough is not only confident of an NRL first round return from a knee reconstruction but is hoping to be available for a pre-season trial.
Five months after undergoing surgery, McCullough said he finally felt comfortable in ball-work sessions and was on track to launch a comeback for the Broncos ahead of schedule.
McCullough had initially pencilled in a round one return against St George Illawarra on March 8 after injuring his knee in round 21 when his leg buckled under teammate Adam Blair in a tackle against Parramatta.
However, McCullough believes it is realistic to aim for one of Brisbane's trials.
The Broncos take on Queensland Cup side Central Capras at Theodore on February 10, the Gold Coast Titans at Toowoomba a week later and the PNG Hunters at Port Moresby on February 24.
McCullough said his return date would depend on how he fared with his workload in the coming weeks.
"I just have to nail this February, the next month of training," McCullough told the Broncos website.
"I'll be doing a bit more contact, tackling, and game situations to test the leg out.
"But it feels good and to be out there with the boys - it is something I have definitely missed."
McCullough was sidelined for the final five rounds of Brisbane's 2017 season, missing a chance to chime into the Broncos' surge to the preliminary final.
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