It’s finals or bust for revamped Knights, writes Anthony Griffin
Two years of arguably rugby league’s best recruitment drive has the Knights primed for their first playoff appearance in six years, writes former Penrith coach Anthony Griffin.
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Newcastle no longer have any excuses for not making the NRL finals.
Two years of arguably rugby league’s best recruitment drive has the Knights primed for their first playoff appearance in six years.
As if snaring the game’s best young talent, Kalyn Ponga, and premiership-winning halfback Mitchell Pearce last year wasn’t enough, the Knights have again gone on to the open market and come home with some gold.
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International forward David Klemmer’s signature is a massive sign of intent, and the additions of Queensland Origin forward Tim Glasby and James Gavet will give the forward pack enormous strength.
Potentially their most exciting signing is former Cronulla centre Jesse Ramien who, on what he showed last year, could be a special player.
Hymel Hunt and Edrick Lee bolster the outside backs’ stocks.
To top that off, Kurt Mann is now a classy utility who comes back to the club where it all started. He will have his sights set on starting at hooker. He is one of those players, like Tyrone Peachey, who is so valuable off the bench as well.
KNIGHTMARE YEARS
Newcastle have been through a lot since the Wayne Bennett era ended in 2014.
They have literally had to cop their medicine, with three straight wooden spoons, and start again.
Last year they improved to 11th with nine wins as their revamped squad brought back bumper crowds — a 19,000 average home crowd.
Thirteen wins will seal their top-eight return.
NO HALF MEASURES
Pearce, who turns 30 this year, with more than 250 games under his belt, was signed last year to guide an inexperienced group up the ladder. Now he has some artillery around him and the playmaker group is starting to really take shape.
Ponga, Pearce’s new halves partner, had a breakout season in 2018 that included player of the year honours and an Origin debut.
It’s hard to believe he has only played 29 games.
His move from fullback to five-eighth has created a pairing that can win big games. With Pearce’s experience and direction alongside Ponga’s brilliance, Newcastle look dangerous.
REFORMED SPINE
Playing behind Ponga and Pearce, Connor Watson will use his speed and footwork at fullback. As a former half, Watson should be able to build a dangerous combination.
The last piece of the playmaker puzzle is the hooking position. Daniel Levy has been doing a great job, Mann will be hard to hold out and Mason Lino could also be an option.
They still have Slade Griffin who will return from injury and the experienced Jamie Buhrer on the roster as well. Starting Levi and using Mann as the utility gives them a strong look.
BOLSTERED BACKS
Ramien, Hunt and Lee will join Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Tautau Moga (fitness permitting) and Nathan Ross.
If Moga is fit, he and Ramien give them two big strike centres.
On the wing, Kenny-Dowall has played test football and won a comp. Ross, Hunt and Lee are all very good finishers.
There’s plenty of class and experience in this group, but their combinations in defence will be their biggest challenge. Having not played much together they will need to be well schooled going into the early rounds.
Most of these guys have come up with some poor reads over recent years and found themselves isolated.
The Knights let in an average of 25 points per game last season. For this group, maybe the focus early in the year is to save tries.
FORWARD MARCH
If you pick the interchange forwards first it gives you a clear picture of how strong this pack is. Depth is not a problem for the Knights. Daniel Saifiti, Herman Ese’ese and James Gavet — that is a bench with some impact.
The starting middles are all origin players — Klemmer, Glasby and Aidan Guerra.
Lachlan Fitzgibbon is developing into a powerful backrower on the left and Sione Mata’utia can continue his evolution from the centres on the right edge.
Saifiti and Ese’ese were required to lead an inexperienced and undermanned pack in the past. Now they can be injected into the game as part of a quality rotation with Gavet, who was also a starter for the Warriors in 2018.
They still then have Mitch Barnett, Josh King, Jacob Saifiti and Sam Stone on the depth chart.
VERDICT
Nathan Brown has done a great job with this club. He has them extremely well drilled in attack. Their forwards play with good structure and there are always a lot of bodies in motion to make you nervous.
Now they have a halves pairing that can take them to next level.
The biggest challenge will be without the ball. Newcastle will need to shave 150 points off the 607 they conceded last year. That’s roughly a try a game.
It doesn’t sound like much but they have to do it every game for 24 weeks. They have four of their first five games at home — get some big crowds in, play hard for each other and build your wins off a tough defensive attitude. Win those four games and the resurrection of the Knights is really happening.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Jesse Ramien. He’s a good size, aggressive and a very balanced runner. He is an exciting strike weapon that the knights need.
STAT ATTACK
They must learn to play out the full 80 minutes (the recruitment they have done will help). Last year, in second halves they averaged 7.4 points in attack, and conceded 13.1.
Originally published as It’s finals or bust for revamped Knights, writes Anthony Griffin
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