Captain Kurt backs Jarrod Mullen to lead Knights to win over Manly

Video preview: KURT Gidley has urged Jarrod Mullen to take the fight up to Manly by running the football at every opportunity at Brookvale Oval.

INJURED Newcastle captain Kurt Gidley rates Jarrod Mullen among the quickest and strongest playmakers in the NRL and has urged him to take the fight up to Manly by running the football at every opportunity at Brookvale Oval tomorrow.

In a timely boost for the Knights as they battle to stay alive in the finals race, Mullen produced arguably his best game of the season in the win over the Sharks last Monday, scoring a try and having a hand in three others.

He completely outscored Sharks star Todd Carney on the night and shapes up as a key figure if his side is to defy the odds and upset the Eagles on their home ground.

His personal duel with Manly five-eighth Kieran Foran may well decide the game.

"Mullo was great the other night," Gidley said.

"When he backs himself and runs the football, he can be hard to handle so that's what he's got to do on Sunday.

"Hopefully the boys up front can give him a bit of a platform to work behind because his confidence is up and he is the type of player who can really influence a game."

Steve Matai

Gidley, who is out for the season after having a shoulder reconstruction more than two months ago, revealed Mullen's kicking game has also improved markedly over the course of the season following some advice from coach Wayne Bennett.

"Wayne just told him to concentrate totally on finding the grass with his kicks rather than just trying to kick the hell out of it all the time," he said.

"It's made a huge difference.

"His kicking game has been really good and he's probably taken some confidence out of it as well for the rest of his game."

Gidley, who celebrated the birth of his first child, Arabella, with wife Brooke last Sunday, believes the key to upsetting Manly at Brookvale will be staying in the arm wrestle for as long as possible.

"We can't afford to let them get away from us early so we have to start well and keep getting to our kick," Gidley said.

"It's a great place to play footy but they are hard to beat down there and the way they have been playing over the past few weeks suggests they are really building for something.

"They've got plenty of threats across the park and a bloke like Jamie Lyon's in great form. But we've been playing good as well and all the boys are really looking forward to the challenge."

It has only been five weeks since Newcastle embarrassed the Eagles at Hunter Stadium, winning 32-6.

But Manly had some excuses that night for their below-par performance.

Going into the game, several players had been affected by the flu, with centre Steve Matai missing the clash altogether after being laid low with the illness.

The Eagles were also without Glenn and Brett Stewart because of injury.

All three stars will be back on deck tomorrow.

Brett Stewart's decision to pledge his future to Manly for a further four years during the week also comes as a timely boost leading into the play-offs.