Rory Kostjasyn set to fulfil childhood dream by playing for Newcastle

HE’S gone from one of the best teams in the league to the very worst but the chance to fulfil a childhood dream was too good to resist for Rory Kostjasyn.

Knight's newcomer Rory Kostjasyn hits the training paddock for the first time this season in Newcastle. Picture by Peter Lorimer.

AS a teenager growing up at Berkeley Vale on the Central Coast, Rory Kostjasyn wanted to play for the Newcastle Knights.

More than a decade later and after travelling more than 5650 kilometres to get there, the premiership-winning utility will finally get his chance.

Shunned by the Knights as a junior, Kostjasyn instead went to the Roosters before spending the past seven seasons at two of the NRL’s most successful clubs, Melbourne and North Queensland.

But after four years in Townsville highlighted by premiership success in 2015, the 29 year old said the lure of returning closer to home and the challenge of assisting with the rebuild of the Knights under coach Nathan Brown was something he couldn’t pass up.

Kostjasyn dreamt of playing for the Knights.

Asked about his motives for leaving a heavyweight squad like the Cowboys to join the back-to-back wooden spooners, Kostjasyn said:

“For me, moving back closer to home, closer to our family and friends was a big advantage and just the new challenge,” he said after training with his new side for the first time on Monday.

“My missus has supported me with my decision to really concentrate on footy for the past seven years at either end of Australia pretty much. So part of the decision to come back here was to do something more for her as well.

“I’ve been in some pretty good footy sides now and I’m getting a bit older so the opportunity to work with some young guys and challenge myself was attractive for me as well so I’m glad I’m here.”

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Kostjasyn said Newcastle’s struggles in recent seasons weren’t a consideration.

“It didn’t really bother me,” he said.

“Next year is a new year and we’ll get some hard work done over the next couple of months and we’ll see how we start the season.”

While he hasn’t been a regular starter at either the Storm or the Cowboys, coach Brown says Kostjasyn is a natural leader and just his experience and knowledge of how to go about chasing success is why he brought him to the club.

The Knights will try to bounce back form two consecutive wooden spoons.

“There is a lot that goes into performing consistently every week for 30 weeks so hopefully I can pass some of that information onto the boys,” Kostjasyn said.

“Just try and build and learn and improve.”

Kostjasyn indicated the hype surround his former Cowboys teammate potentially following him to the Knights is well founded.

“Any footy side would be excited that Kalyn might play in that footy side,” he said.

“I don’t know a whole heap about what’s going on but I think anyone that knows Kalyn, whether that’s outside of footy or one of this teammates, they just want to see what’s best for Kalyn and hoping he’s happy because he’s a very talented guy and he’s a really good person.”