Last year Newcastle were the NRL’s least experienced team. This week they have more games under their belt than Melbourne

THIS time last year Newcastle were the NRL’s least experienced team. This season, Nathan Brown’s side have more games under their belt than Melbourne.

The Knights finally look like a proper NRL team. (Tony Feder/Getty Images)

THIS is the proof Nathan Brown’s new-look Newcastle Knights now rank right up with the NRL heavyweights.

This time last year the Knights were the competition’s least experienced team.

This week they have more games under their belt than Melbourne.

In fact, Fox Sports Stats show the Newcastle side that will take on Manly in front of a blockbuster home crowd boast almost 1000 more games than in round one last year.

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The Knights finally look like a proper NRL team. (Tony Feder/Getty Images)

In the wake of a massive off-season recruitment drive that delivered the likes of Mitchell Pearce, Aidan Guerra, Jacob Lillyman and Chris Heighington to the reigning wooden spooners, the Knights have rocketed from being the NRL’s least experienced squad to now ranking eighth overall.

The Knights’ 17 players listed have 1727 combined games between them, a massive increase from the 756 total that ran out against the New Zealand Warriors in round one last year.

You only have to look at the teams with the most experience in the NRL to realise what a huge advantage the changes should be for Newcastle this year.

Knights coach Nathan Brown has plenty of talent at his disposal. (Brett Costello)

Cronulla are still the most experienced side (2358 combined games) while other clubs ahead of the Knights are North Queensland (2166), Brisbane (1981), Parramatta (1938), Sydney Roosters (1899), Canterbury (1853) and St George Illawarra (1757).

At the other end of the scale, South Sydney are now the NRL’s least experienced team (1418) followed by Gold Coast (1431), Warriors (1435), Manly (1486), Wests Tigers (1577), Penrith (1580), Canberra (1642) and Melbourne (1691).

All eyes will be on Mitchell Pearce. (Tony Feder/Getty Images)

It’s worth noting the Storm would sit third overall if 299-game veteran Billy Slater was playing.

Only six survivors from last year’s opening round game remain in Brown’s top 17 to play Manly including Sione Mata’utia, Nathan Ross, Mitch Barnett, Brock Lamb, Daniel Saifiti and Jamie Buhrer.

Ken Sio, Jacob Saifiti, Danny Levi and Luke Yates were named on an extended bench.

While the changes have cost some locally developed players their spots in the team tonight, Brown believes it will ultimately help everyone who has battled through a couple of tough years.

“I think we certainly earned some respect as far as competing and having a go last year,” Brown said.

“That first year (in 2016) we had a heap of kids playing and they knew they weren’t ready and we knew they weren’t ready.

“But I think all those kids showed good signs of improvement last year.

“I really do think our biggest growth will be determined by how much those young kids that have played their 30 or 40 games improve. That will determine how high we go.”

Brown is predicting 2018 will be one of the closest competitions in years because of a huge shake-up across the entire NRL caused by the new salary cap.

“It is a really unique situation we are in and I think the comp is going to throw up more of the unknown this year because of it,” he said.

“The bottom half of the sides to me have strengthened so much.

“The top teams are going to have to play well every week. It is going to be a tough comp I reckon.”

Originally published as Last year Newcastle were the NRL’s least experienced team. This week they have more games under their belt than Melbourne