Red-hot Knights Matt White in gainful position
BY ROBERT DILLON
27/07/2008 10
ON the strength of his performance against South Sydney yesterday, Knights prop Matt White is unlikely to have to start scouring the positions-vacant column any time soon.
The strapping 24-year-old from Inverell has been told by Knights officials that he will not be retained at season's end, a fate that fellow front-rower Jesse Royal has also accepted.
But judging by yesterday's display, it seems hard to believe that White will not have rival NRL clubs knocking on his door.
With Newcastle's engine-room rotation depleted by injuries to Ben Cross, Steve Simpson, Danny Wicks and Royal, White has stepped confidently into the breach.
For the past three games he has been a tower of strength and yesterday he produced the most emphatic display of his 24-game NRL career.
In 67 minutes on the field, he carried the ball 169 metres more than anyone except Kurt Gidley (185m) and for good measure made 20 tackles.
Those are statistics that any representative forward would be happy to call his own.
White said it was a blow to learn he was not wanted by the Knights next season but was determined to make an impression in coming weeks and hopefully attract some interest.
"It is disappointing, I suppose, but that's football," he said.
He admitted his future was "pretty much up in the air" and was "just trying to play good footy and see what happens".
Usually a player who averages slightly more than 40 minutes a game, White enjoyed an unusually lengthy hit-out yesterday. He was not interchanged until the 53rd minute and returned for the final 14 minutes of the game.
"It was a long stint," he said. "I think that's the longest I've ever played in first grade.
"I felt good and I enjoyed getting so much time out there."
White, who moved to Newcastle as an 18-year-old and worked as an apprentice greenkeeper at Belmont Golf Club before becoming a full-time footballer, made his NRL debut under Michael Hagan in 2005.
Last season he made 11 NRL appearances, but this year the 112-kilogram prop was not used in the top grade until two weeks ago against Penrith.
