Emerging Canberra Raiders star Edrick Lee will play the rest of the season with a heavy heart after the death of a close family member.
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The 19-year-old winger continued his impressive rise into the NRL with his first-ever career hat-trick in Saturday night's 40-12 thumping of the Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park.
While his finishing ability has been first class, Lee committed several defensive errors under the high ball in the Raiders' 40-18 loss to the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville a fortnight ago.
What any of us didn't know was he learned of the death of a family member only days before the clash.
He has preferred to keep the name of the family member private.
''It was pretty hard leading up to the game [against the Cowboys], but as the game went on I tried not to think about it,'' Lee said.
''Family are really close to you and they're the ones that give you inspiration and drive to go forward.
''To lose them is really tough.''
The Raiders were sympathetic to his plight and offered Lee the opportunity to miss the game so he could grieve with his family.
But having just broken into the top-grade, Lee put his emotions to one side and bravely took to the field.
''I was given the option [to miss the game] but I wanted to play because I've only had a couple of games in the NRL,'' he said.
''I wanted to keep it going and try and cement a spot in the team.''
He has made a strong case of doing exactly that.
Lee has crossed for six tries in as many games, justifying the raps given to him by Wendell Sailor when the dual international first sighted him playing for the Queensland under-16 team four years ago.
A product of the Easts Mount Gravatt club in Brisbane, Lee - a cousin of San Antonio Spurs and Australian Boomers point guard Patrick Mills - gave up a promising career in basketball to concentrate on rugby league.
Lee stands a towering 196 centimetres and was part of the Brisbane Bullets development squad before being recruited by the Raiders.
''He's a super talent,'' Sailor said.
''I've been watching him for a long time because I presented the Queensland 16s with their jerseys.
''He's got stuff to work on in his game, but some of the tries that he's scored and the way that runs … in a couple years he's going to be an X-factor.''
That is, if he isn't already.
Lee was the beneficiary of some wonderful ball-playing from fullback Reece Robinson, who is quickly becoming one of the competition's most-improved players since he's filled in for the injured Josh Dugan.
Robinson twice threw the final pass to put Lee over in the left-hand corner in the eight-tries-to-two romp. That sparked sharp dance moves in the in-goal, with Lee pulling out the worm among the various steps in his repertoire.
''It's just a little something, something we all do on the side for fun,'' Lee laughed.
''You see young [guys] having a dance and it brings the team together.
''I guess it just brings the old fellas alive.''
The Raiders are in the rare situation of coming out of a game without any major injury concerns.
Forward Sam Mataora is a chance of returning to face the Gold Coast Titans at Canberra Stadium on Sunday after missing last Saturday night's win against the Storm with a back injury.