Class act from Knights during fires

The Newcastle Knights have gone above and beyond to help bushfire victims around the NSW mid-north coast. Popular forward Mitch Barnett, whose family owns a farm in Wingham in the heart of the danger, has been the driving force behind the move. Barnett and a host of Knights players went to local supermarkets in Newcastle and filled their cars to the brim with groceries and the like. Fans also got behind the campaign, leaving non- perishables at the Knights offices. Barnett then drove a a semi-trailer full of much-needed goods to the Wingham area over the weekend, distributing provisions to the luckless locals, many of whom had lost everything they had. A good news story that deserves to be told in this time of players behaving badly.

Kurt Mann’s biggest challenge in making hooker switch

Kurt Mann isn't guaranteed to start at hooker in Round 1. He's working as hard as anyone in the team.The nib Newcastle Knights recruit is in the midst of a positional change and there's plenty of work to be done in order to make it a success. At the moment I am just going to put my head down and keep working hard," Mann said. "Browny (Coach Nathan Brown) has picked out a few things that I need to work on and especially with the position change for me there are a few things that I need to work on and get better at with. "At the moment I just need to put my head down and keep working until we get into trials. In a bid to fast-track his learning, Mann has been working closely with former premiership winning hooker Rory Kostjasyn. "I have been doing a bit of work with Rory," Mann said. "He was a hooker himself and played a lot of first-grade games there, so he has been pretty helpful as well." "Probably passing off the ground," he admitted. "Naturally passing comes pretty easy to me playing in the halves as well but it is a little bit different when you have to pass off the ground. "It is a different technique and Browny being a former hooker himself is pretty critical about it too, so if there is anyone who is able to turn into it will be him." Mann will get his first chance to flex his new skills when the Knights face the Dragons on February 23 in a trial match in Kogarah.

Guerra backs Knights’ forgotten man to fight for place in the pack

However, star second-rower Aidan Guerra has leapt to Barnett’s defence. I think they’re probably a bit off there if they’re not mentioning him in their 17,” he told reporters on Thursday. “I’ve played alongside him for a year and played against him for a couple of years before that and I think the value he can add to this side will do this club justice for some time to come.” Barnett and Guerra will both be competing for an edge position in the Knights’ pack along with rising stars Lachlan Fitzgibbon, Sione Mata’utia and Sam Stone. Both can also play lock
— likewise new recruit David Klemmer and Herman Ese’ese. It makes the upcoming trials leading into Round 1 all the more important. “I don’t think anything is set, I don’t even think Browny has got his mind made up yet so I think that’s what this next two month block and into the trial matches will iron out these decisions for Browny,” Guerra said. “I’ve always said to Browny that I prefer edge and I’ve said to every coach that I have had that I prefer edge, I know I’m capable to play both and I can value add to the side no matter where I am. I’ve played a lot in the middle in my career and a lot on the edge and I just try to do my best at both of them.

Klemmer feels like Knights' new kid

David Klemmer says he feels like a rookie again following his NRL off-season move to Newcastle from Canterbury. Newcastle's star signing David Klemmer says he feels like a rookie again and has been forced to go back to square one since his move up the M1.

Klemmer reported to Knights pre-season training underweight as the NSW prop opens the next chapter in his career following his exit from Canterbury in late November. The 25-year-old is one of a host of new faces at Newcastle this off-season along with the likes of Tim Glasby, Edrick Lee, Jesse Ramien and Kurt Mann.

Is Mann the new Kurt Gidley at the Knights?

Kurt Mann is shaping as the Knights' next Kurt Gidley – a man of many positions. Newcastle coach Nathan Brown was describing why he was so keen to sign the former Dragons backline utility for 2019, and although he didn't mention Gidley by name, the similarities were evident. "Blokes who can play five-eighth
and fullback can catch and pass. Most of those can play dummy-half to a certain extent," Brown said, as he explains his reasons for wanting to turn Mann into a No.9. Gidley, who left the Knights in 2015 for Super League's Warrington Wolves, jumps to mind on that count.

The Knights will be a vastly different team in 2019

It’s been a long time since the Knights had this much depth. First grade spots are at an absolute premium in Newcastle this year as players who have featured for the team during the rebuild scramble to be there for any resulting success. Unfortunately, it won’t be the case for all. Players like Daniel Saifiti, Mitch Barnett, Danny Levi, Jamie Buhrer and Sione Mata’utia will be battling alongside new recruits David Klemmer, Kurt Mann,
James Gavet and Tim Glasby for spots — and rightly so. The Knights have several potential Origin and Test players in their squad — a lucrative position the club hasn’t experienced since the days of Wayne Bennett. Dane Gagai was their last Australia representative. Organising so much versatile talent into 17 regular starting players will be the biggest headache for coach Nathan Brown, who has persisted through the club’s lowest times to emerge with this formidable roster. Fans are genuinely excited for the season to start and try as he might, their expectations will be hard to muzzle.

Knights to secure top four finish

There are no excuses for the Knights now. They have a roster that ticks every box and expectations are high for Nathan Brown’s men. Mitchell Pearce and Kalyn Ponga both polled exceptionally well in the Dally M Medal count this year despite only playing 15 and 20 games respectively in their first seasons with the club.
Considering it was Ponga’s first full year at NRL level there is no ceiling as to what he can achieve in 2019. Then when you throw in recruits of the calibre of David Klemmer, Jesse Ramien and Kurt Mann, there is serious fire-power throughout this squad.

Newcastle Knights NRL 2019 Draw

Teams they play twice: Panthers, Dragons, Sea Eagles, Titans, Eels, Warriors, Bulldogs, Roosters, Wests Tigers.

Teams they play once: Sharks, Raiders, Rabbitohs, Storm, Broncos, Cowboys.

Day-by-day breakdown: Thursday - Zero, Friday - Six, Saturday - Twelve, Sunday - Six.

Five-day turnarounds: 1 (Rd 11).

Kick-off: Newcastle have a chance to build some early momentum with three of their first four matches at McDonald Jones Stadium. However, they face three teams which made last season’s finals in those matches plus a trip to Canberra in round three.