Now, more than 12 years after he was sacked by Newcastle, the Scone product is back in red and blue and eyeing a potential premiership farewell with the club’s reserve grade team.

The 32-year-old former Raiders and Hull KR prop rejoined the Knights last week after finishing his maiden season with Maitland in the Newcastle Rugby League.

Tilse answered the call of housemate Wade Grintell, a strength and conditioning coach who was at Canberra is now at the Knights, and former Raiders teammate Simon Woolford, who is Newcastle’s reserve grade boss.

Woolford said Tilse did a fantastic job in the 40-18 qualifying final win over North Sydney at UOW Jubilee Oval in Kogarah last Sunday. He then named Tilse to start in the semi-final with the Warriors this Sunday night at the same venue.

Tilse played three NRL games for Newcastle in 2004 before a drunken pre-season incident cost him his contract. He revived his career, playing 201 NRL games in 10 years at Canberra before going to England. Back in Knights colours, he was keen to help out his mates and their young team in what could be his swansong.

“When they were short during the year they asked me then, but I was captain of Maitland and that was my main priority,” Tilse said. “But then we finished up and they had two front-rowers pull out and it was semi-finals. Germ [Woolford] rang me and hit me up, and I thought, ‘Why not? That’s not a bad way to finish up’.”

The chance comes as Tilse weighs up his options in and out of football. He has not committed to Maitland and was at a loose end after quitting work with the National Broadband Network. That came after working at his brother Luke’s bar, The Happy Wombat, and “running a few kegs around town” for his family’s business, Tilse’s Apple Truck Cider.

“That’s half the reason I jumped into this Knights thing, because I’d just quit a week and a half ago, so I thought ‘I’m not doing much, I’ll rip into this and try and help Germ out’,” he said.

“If I play some really good footy here, I’ll have a good sit down and think about things, but that hasn't been the plan, to jump back into first grade. The game is getting quicker and all that, and I’m well aware of that. It’s just about helping the boys.”

The Knights welcome back Mickey Paea, Tyrone Amey and Jack Cogger for the 7pm Warriors clash.

“We’ve got a really good side and I’ve been impressed,” Tilse said. “I hadn’t seen them play, but they’ve got good, talented young athletes out in the backs. I think we’re a bit of a dark horse.”

Tilse was confident of producing a better performance for the Knights on Sunday after having only a couple of training sessions with the team before the first final.

“It was a tough first game back in the heat, it was 28 degrees at midday,” he said.

“But my attack was pretty good and I’m sure I’ll be better for the run and be able to adjust to the pace this week.”

As for playing on next year if he earned a Knights deal, Tilse said: “I’ll just wait and see how the next few weeks play out. If I play some good footy and we can win the comp here with the Knights reserves I’ll probably consider it, but at this stage I’m just in there trying to help the boys out. They’ve been doing the hard yards all year so I just want to come in and add some experience, try to play some good footy and then I’ll think about it then.

“It hasn’t been high on the radar and not really why I’m doing it. I’m a bit undecided about what I want to do footy-wise, even in the local comp next year.

“It’s a bit up in the air, but I just want to focus on this for a few weeks, get some time off and see how I feel.”

The two-metre tall prop said he had been lucky with injuries and was physically ready for the Knights call-up

“Obviously I haven’t been in full-time training, but I’ve been making sure I do a few extra sessions every week, just to hold a bit of a standard because obviously blokes in the local comp come after you and if you’re not doing the training, you soon fall back to the field because it’s not a bad standard.”

Regardless of what happens on the field, Tilse was glad to be back living close to his daughter and the rest of his family in Newcastle after turning his back on another year with Hull KR.

“I’m happy to set up at home in Newcastle now because I’ve been away a long time, in Canberra and the UK, so I’m loving being home,” he said.