See Newcastle’s blockbusting Harold Matthews centre Ethan Ferguson in action
Newcastle has long been a junior powerhouse and the Knights may have landed on another potential star in blockbusting centre Ethan Ferguson.
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Newcastle has long been a junior powerhouse and the Knights may have landed on another potential star in blockbusting centre Ethan Ferguson.
With the Knights looking to defend their Harold Matthews Cup premiership victory from last year, Ferguson has been a standout early.
His potential was highlight by a spectacular performance against the Dragons last week, as he scored three tries and kicked six goals for a 24-point haul in a 52-10 belting.
Ferguson’s third try was the pick of the bunch, a length of the field intercept effort that saved a certain Dragons try.
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The Taree junior has been in the Knights system since he was 14 and was named in the NSW Indigenous Under-16s side earlier this year..
“We found him in Group 3, he was a fullback but this year we’ve got him in the centres,” Knights coach Scott Robinson told The Daily Telegraph.
“He’s been going well, he’s developing. It’s an education for him, and as long as he keeps listening and learning he’ll do well.
“It’s a different position, and he’s taking it well.”
The Knights have revamped their junior pathways in recent years and the results have been immediate, with the club capturing two Harold Matthews titles in the last three years.
For Robinson, the key to success is teaching up and comers like Ferguson, who are used to being the dominant force on every team they ever played on, how to fit into a wider system.
“They’re usually the best kids in their area, and all of a sudden they come to a team where everybody is quality,” said Robinson.
“They have to learn to play as a team, and to do it for the team and not for themselves as individuals.
“That’s the biggest thing I work on.”
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PEARCE: KNIGHTS OWE IT TO THEIR FANS
Newcastle captain Mitchell Pearce believes the Knights have a responsibility to deliver success to their long-suffering fans after six seasons in the wilderness.
The Knights last made the finals in 2013 and have endured a hellish time since, including three straight wooden spoons from 2015 to 2017.
But with new coach Adam O’Brien taking the reins for Saturday’s season opener against the Warriors, expectations are high in the Hunter for 2020 and Pearce believes the players owe it to the fans to repay the faith.
“There’s no more loyal fans in the comp than Newcastle,” Pearce told The Daily Telegraph.
“We’ve got a lot of loyal fans who are hungry for success, and finals. We need to go out and make those fans proud.
“We’re aware of the responsibly we have in the club and the town, and none of us take that lightly.
“There’s no better place to play rugby league than Newcastle. The community and the crowd is something that drives the boys, and we fell short last year, and you do feel like you let people down.
“All clubs are built of different sort of stuff, and Newcastle is a community town, and a great rugby league town, and they get right behind us.
“There’s no better place to play footy, and hopefully we can deliver this year.”
O’Brien comes from an impeccable pedigree, having operated as an assistant for the Roosters and Storm in recent years.
Only time will tell if he can help end Newcastle’s finals drought, which is currently the second longest in the league, but according to Pearce the preliminary signs have been promising.
“I knew he’d be a fantastic coach just from hearing people’s opinions, and the systems he’s been in,” Pearce said.
“But he’s a super bloke, he’s an honest bloke, and he’s created a really good system for the group.
“We’ve trained at a higher intensity, and Adam challenges you mentally and physically, day in and day out, and that’s what develops you as a player.
“I’ve been involved in those systems before, and it’s been really refreshing to be a part of that again. I know the boys are improving day in and day out, which is great.
“You might think that just happens, but it’s something you have to challenge yourself to do every day.”