Knights coach Adam O’Brien has revealed Kalyn Ponga will make a everlasting change to the halves this season whereas hinting at a three-way battle for his vacant fullback spot.
Speaking on SEN 1170 Breakfast on Tuesday, O’Brien stated the choice to maneuver Ponga to five-eighth was made after he was dominated out within the latter phases of final season following a number of concussions.
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“If we were ever going to move Kalyn to six, now is the time,” O’Brien stated.
“Essentially, we’ve had five months. He had a very brief break in October and then started training before everyone else. We changed his training program and he’s obviously put some size on in the gym.
“He’s been training at six all summer and he has been doing a really good job at it.”
While there isn’t a assure will probably be successful, Knights followers can at the least take consolation within the truth O’Brien is open to attempting one thing completely different after a disappointing 2022 marketing campaign.
Newcastle managed simply the six wins final season, ending in 14th place and no clearer to figuring out what its long-term backbone seemed like.
Mitchell Pearce’s departure left a big management void, one which the Knights will probably be hoping new recruit Jackson Hastings might help fill.
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Hastings will companion Ponga within the halves, with O’Brien assured that he’ll make his new teammate’s transition to the halves “so much easier”.
“He’s definitely a footy head,” O’Brien stated.
“He knows the game well and he’s a general. He will steer the team around, he’s very vocal and he’s very clear about what he wants those to do around him.
“That allows Kalyn to be himself and doesn’t bog him down with a lot of responsibility of being a director.
“At the end of the day you want Jackson to steer the team around and get Kalyn the ball in the space that we need to get him in. They’re working really well together at the moment.”
The massive query that wants answering now although is who will line up at fullback in Ponga’s place, with English addition Bailey Hodgson the main contender.
O’Brien although stated Dane Gagai and Tyson Gamble had additionally “spent some time” coaching at fullback together with Hodgson, who has been there “most of the summer”.
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“Strengthening that fullback spot remains a priority for us,” added O’Brien.
There will probably be loads of strain on O’Brien after final 12 months’s let-down however the Knights coach stated each he as a person and the membership as a complete can take loads of classes out of 2022.
“Whilst it wasn’t enjoyable for anyone — the players, staff, supporters — upon reflection over the summer looking back over that season I learnt a lot,” he stated.
“Hopefully one day you’re looking back at it and saying we made better or smarter decisions having gone through that type of season.
“I don’t want to do that again… but at the same time you start to analyse things a little bit differently and make better decisions in and around recruitment, how you prepare each week and how you handle adversity.”