Impressive Mackay Cutters stint helps Jesse Dee strike deal with Newcastle Thunder

The Warilla-Lake South product, after four seasons with the Mackay Cutters in the Queensland Cup, thought the chance to play in England was too good to pass up.

"I've always had a dream of playing in England and with the help of my manager David Riolo, we were able to turn that into a reality," Dee said.

"With an English passport in my back pocket now, an opportunity like this is something I've been working hard towards all year.

"So when a club like Newcastle, who have aspirations on gaining promotion into the English Super League, came up I jumped at the chance."

Read more: Buckpitt blitzes field to claim Aussie junior online surf crown

As the 26-year-old alludes to, this offer came on the back of his strong season with the Cutters, in which he made 17 appearances and scored three tries - to help his young side finish in 12th.

"From a personal perspective, I was stoked to get back on the field and play some solid footy, after missing all last year through injury," said the former Illawarra Cutter, who pinpointed the club's comeback win against Papua New Guinea in round 12 as a highlight.

"To play every game, alongside and against some very talented players, made the season very rewarding.

"I also enjoyed playing more in the middle of the park as a lock, which allowed me to impact the game in a different way than previously on the edge.

"Even though it was frustrating to lose close to half a dozen games at the death, which hurt our finals hopes.

"On top of that, we missed more than a month of footy in the middle of the season, due to COVID-19 protocols, which hurt us a bit - but that's footy."

The Lake Illawarra High School alumnus will now turn his attention's to his UK shift and his next rugby league adventure at Kingston Park Stadium.

"I'm really looking forward to the challenge of being taken out of my comfort zone once again," he said.

Read more: Culey and Cater claim SDFA's player of the year honours

"I felt as though the time was right to leave Queensland and the fit at Newcastle felt perfect, as we were all on the same page in terms of ambitions.

"Both I and the club want to test ourselves in the Super League and we both feel if we work together, we can achieve those goals.

"I'm really excited to get over there and rip in with the boys."

Dee is the Thunder's 13^th confirmed signings for the upcoming season, joining Jake Anderson, Jay Chapelhow, Ted Chapelhow, Alex Donaghy, Brad Day, Josh Eaves, Alex Foster, Tom Minns, Craig Mullen, Ukuma Ta'ai, Kyle Trout and Josh Woods.

We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.