Darius Boyd about the Knights, Wayne Bennett, Origin III and the personal pressures he has faced this season

NEWCASTLE fullback Darius Boyd has admitted the Knights' dramatic fall from grace this season has taken a personal toll.

Darius Boyd

NEWCASTLE fullback Darius Boyd has admitted the Knights' dramatic fall from grace this season has taken a personal toll.

But the media-shy star dismisses suggestions he doesn't care about his new club or is not committed to helping lead them back from oblivion.

In a rare and extensive interview, Boyd opened up to The Sunday Telegraph about the Knights, coach Wayne Bennett, Origin III and the personal pressures he has faced this season.

THE KNIGHTS

BOYD remains excited about the Knights' future under Bennett, claiming there will be no stopping the club once things come together.

"I've never experienced anything like this (slump) in my career and it's definitely taken a bit of a toll on me personally," Boyd said.

"Early on, it really affected me, affected my form, and I didn't know how to take it.

"At the Broncos, we had a star-studded line-up and at the Dragons we had a lot of success there. I'm pretty competitive and I don't like losing anything. That's why it's been so hard for me here. It hurts to lose.

"But I don't have any regrets about coming to Newcastle. I'm still excited about the move.

"My partner and I love it here. We love the city and I'm honestly excited about what's in front of us.

"I want to make a difference. I'm 100 per cent committed to the team and the town and winning games."

Darius Boyd

THAT MELTDOWN

THE sight of an emotional Boyd, captured by Channel Nine cameras, being comforted by Bennett in the dressing room at halftime earlier this season during a game against the Sydney Roosters left fans bewildered.

Boyd is reluctant to discuss his emotional breakdown. But insiders at the club claim his tears were simply the result of frustration with the way he and the team were performing.

"He was probably just feeling the pressure a little bit, but what it did do was prove how much he cares about the team," one source close to the players said.

Boyd refuses to shed more light on the tears.

"It was a really personal thing and I don't want to talk about it," he said.

"People can perceive things about me if they want but at the end of the day, the people who know me - my friends and family - they know what I'm like. I'm my own person. I'm happy with who I am and what I do, how I act. That is the most important thing to me."

BENNETT

BOYD said the Knights coach has not changed in the slightest despite the pressures associated with not winning.

"There's been no difference there at all. Wayne's been great and he knows what he's doing is right. He knows what works. We just haven't been able to get it right on the field for the full 80 minutes.

"We played well to beat the Bulldogs earlier in the season. We played well against Melbourne down there. It's just been lapses during games.

"We've covered a lot of bases and gone over different things. I think it comes down to desire and want.

"At the end of the day, it's an attitude thing. There are no easy games and you have to put your body on the line for 80 minutes. We just haven't been doing that. That's not Wayne's fault."

ORIGIN III

JUST like every other Queenslander, Boyd says he desperately wants Billy Slater to play on Wednesday week.

But if Slater is ruled out, Boyd says he will be ready to fill the void at fullback.

"I haven't thought about it too much because I'm hoping Billy will be right to play," Boyd said. "He's one of the best players in the world so we want him there."

This decider will hold even more significance for Boyd. His 82-year-old grandmother Delphine Boyd, who played a large part in raising him, is planning to make the trip up from the Gold Coast to attend her first Origin match.

"It doesn't get much bigger than playing in a decider at Suncorp in front of 50,000 Queenslanders, but having my grandmother in the crowd will make it even more special," Boyd said. "She's only ever seen me play three top grade games so knowing she is there will spur me on even more."

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