Canberra Raiders prop Dane Tilse admits he saw the end of his NRL career approaching, but he believes interchange restrictions won't force a mass exodus of big men from the game.
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The Raiders will release Tilse this month to join Hull Kingston Rovers on a two-and-a-half year deal in the UK Super League, but only after the veteran prop helps Canberra ride through injuries to their front-rowers.
Contracted to Canberra until the end of 2016, Tilse had been eyeing a move to the UK at the end of this season after 10 years at the Raiders.
Instead, he approached the Raiders for an immediate release to prolong his career, freeing him to join Hull KR after the round seven match against the Wests Tigers on April 19.
Tilse is two games away from notching 200 games for the Raiders, but admits he took stock when dropped before what would have been his 200th NRL game against the New Zealand Warriors in round two.
"I thought we'd be having this chat halfway through the year with [coach] Ricky [Stuart] anyway, so it's popped up early and I think it's good to get on the front foot and get over there," Tilse said.
"It's something I was going to be looking to do, probably next year anyway, so the opportunity's come up ... it was definitely on my terms."
Tilse, 30, is the most capped player in Canberra's squad and at 2m isthe tallest in the NRL. Tilse said pending restrictions to the interchange, which could drop from 10 to as low as six next season had influenced his decision a little. But Tilse said there would always be room for big men in the NRL.
"I still think you'll need your big boys to start the game and if you're only interchanging your two props, that's only going to take up four interchanges if they play 40 minutes each," he said. "So you've still got two there for injuries - your locks and back-rowers are probably going to have to play the 80. I still think there's going to be a place for the big boys in the game, but you might not have as many."
The timing of Tilse's departure will allow several of Canberra's props to return from injuries over the next month.
Shannon Boyd (shoulder) and Kyle O'Donnell (ribs) are expected back within the next fortnight, while David Shillington (thumb) is aiming to return after the first representative bye in May.
Stuart said the Raiders were not actively seeking a replacement for Tilse before the June 30 contracting deadline. Stuart also denied links to Australian Kangaroos and North Queensland Cowboys prop James Tamou, stating the club had not expressed interest.
Tilse's departure is the latest in a complete reshuffle of the Raiders forward pack since Stuart's arrival last season.
Shillington had previously been linked to Hull KR, where former Raiders skipper Terry Campese is captain. But Stuart emphasised he remained in Canberra's NRL plans this season, when he comes off contract.
Props Tom Learoyd-Lahrs (Melbourne Storm), Brett White (retired), Jake Foster (Queensland Cup), Sam Mataora (Newcastle) left Canberra last year, while the Raiders have shown their intentions for more mobility by moving Australian Kangaroos forward Josh Papalii to the front row this season.
"It's definitely a new team this year, there's been five or six new guys come in and young guys have stepped up," Tilse said. "I'm the last bloke from that era ... it's definitely a new chapter for the club."
