Knights sign Kurt Mann on a 3 year deal

knightime said:
Where does it say that he'll certainly get the nod over Levi for 2019? He'll be used as a hooker no doubt, however there's no guarantee that he's our first choice yet.
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I never said he was first choice. I said the club has bought him to become a hooker.
 
Matty23 said:
I never said he was first choice. I said the club has bought him to become a hooker.
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Sorry, I must have misread your earlier post as a reply to mine. Definitely agree with you though. He has utility value, but clearly a big selling point was for him to nail down one position, being hooker. Similar to Watson I suppose, in that he doesn't want to be a utility for his entire career.
 
This time last year Christian Hazard was getting equal time with Levi at hooker and was being talked up as a guy we bought to play hooker. By the end of the season he couldn't push Chris Randall out of reserve grade.
 
Think we should wait and see with Mann, hard to believe at this stage he will oust Levi, may start at hooker but Levi should play major minutes. If Mann can cover hooker he is a better bench option than Buhrer but time will tell.
 
I'm surprized Mann has played 88 games of firstgrade.
I'd have guessed 30 or 40.
Hard to think of anyone who has played that many games and never had a regular position in any team that I can remember.
Even in our lower grades we bought him as a fullback and played him in the halves, centres and wing from memory.
 
I wonder how this will effect Sione's place in the team. If we play Ese'ese at lock with 2 front rowers on the bench with Levi/Mann, that leaves one spot for either Sione or Barnett. I would've thought Sione had the upper hand as he can play in the centres, but with Mann we have that versatility now to cover the outside backs. If we are going on pure impact off the bench I'm probably picking Barnett over Sione
 
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Mann has played

31 games at centre
25 games at bench
17 games at wing
7 games at 5/8
4 games at halfback
4 games at fullback
 
I'm assuming that nil selection at hooker does not mean he hasn't played hooker but is a concern if bought as a hooker. Is this a anti Levi ploy to see if he spits dummy. 25 games of bench could,?, mean he covered hooker or some other positions.
Someone, something does not seem right, I will wait and see, those getting exited about Mann as hooker should reconsider, of course he could be Browns answer to a problem created by???
 
I have a question mark about Mann defending in the middle at hooker. Tackling has never been a strength of his
 
article in the herald where Kurt Gidley says Mann is a good signing, but hooker will be "challenging" for him, and goes on to say how tough he found playing hooker
 
Mann: What I’ll bring and why I joined


Newcastle Knights
Mon 10 Dec 2018, 04:17 PM


Kurt Mann has returned to the nib Newcastle Knights and he's excited by the roster.

Having added the likes of David Klemmer, Jesse Ramien, James Gavet and Edrick Lee to the squad for 2019, Mann believes the Knights are a side on the rise.

In fact, it was the competitive roster that convinced Mann to leave St George Illawarra and take-up a three-year-deal with the Knights.

"The big thing is the squad," Mann said.

"The team the Club is building really sold me.

"It's an exciting young and talented mix of players."

The allure of playing a regular position, more minutes and returning to a team he knows well helped seal the move for the livewire.

Able to play almost any position, Mann filled multiple roles for the Dragons last season including wing, five-eighth and lock.

While he brings versatility to the Club, Mann is confident he'll provide the team with much more.

"I'll bring a good work ethic and positive attitude," he said.

"They're the things successful clubs are built on and I'm confident the Knights have that. We're headed in the right direction."

Mann started his NRL journey with the Knights' lower grades before being picked up by the Melbourne Storm where he made his first-grade debut in 2014.

He now has 88 games to his name across two teams.

Mann made 26 appearances for the Dragons in 2018 but only started in eight games.

Approaching 100 top grade games and with 30 tries to his name over five seasons, the 25-year-old is looking forward to getting reacquainted with the town and his teammates.

"I'm really excited to return to the Club," Mann said.

"It all began for me in Newy. I left Queensland as a young kid and was fortunate enough to play SG Ball and 20s for the Knights.

"It's a homecoming of sorts. I can't wait to meet everyone and get to work."


https://www.newcastleknights.com.au/news/2018/12/10/mann-what-ill-bring-and-why-i-joined/
 
Interesting quote about the allure of playing a regular position.

Seems he is of the opinion he was not brought here to be utility.

I wonder what position that would be.
 
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