2025 pre season thread

frankLauda said:
I listened to it. He gives some good insights. Mentions he is willing to play any position in the team to help win a premiership. Where as before he always just wanted to play 7. Talks about ball playing lock.

It’s his first pre-season in a few years where he hasn’t been injured or Covid. He talks quite a lot about mental illness and he was diagnosed with ADHD and depression earlier this year. Says he’s on medication and that is really helping him. He is having a baby, bought a house in Newcastle and loves the town and supporters.

I agree he is the best halfback we have. From the sounds of it he will make amends with his teammates. I could see him playing lock to accommodate Cogger and Gamble. But if he proves he’s the best half then he’s the 7.

AOB will have his work cut out for him figuring out the best halves combo within the team structure. I still would like to see Pryce given more of an opportunity.
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My best mate is a super intelligent guy, owns a successful business as an architect but admitted he’s suffered the black dog his whole life. He was diagnosed with ADHD middle of last year and given medication to manage it. His life and business have gone from strength to strength since and he seems to be a new man. My sister the exact same thing happened to her and just recently my father too.

I’m tipping he will be a different kind of creature come kick off 2025 if the others in my life are anything to go by. Children make you grow overnight but if he’s able to identify and get on top of his mental health it WILL look different to what we’ve seen.
 
MBQLD said:
My best mate is a super intelligent guy, owns a successful business as an architect but admitted he’s suffered the black dog his whole life. He was diagnosed with ADHD middle of last year and given medication to manage it. His life and business have gone from strength to strength since and he seems to be a new man. My sister the exact same thing happened to her and just recently my father too.

I’m tipping he will be a different kind of creature come kick off 2025 if the others in my life are anything to go by. Children make you grow overnight but if he’s able to identify and get on top of his mental health it WILL look different to what we’ve seen.
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www.sportingnews.com

Jackson Hastings reveals mental health breakthrough after suffering relationship struggles | Sporting News Australia

Jackson Hastings has revealed the progress he has made in his mental health battle with a significant breakthrough occurring in recent months after years of struggling with relationships.
www.sportingnews.com www.sportingnews.com

Feb 2024
 
MBQLD said:
My best mate is a super intelligent guy, owns a successful business as an architect but admitted he’s suffered the black dog his whole life. He was diagnosed with ADHD middle of last year and given medication to manage it. His life and business have gone from strength to strength since and he seems to be a new man. My sister the exact same thing happened to her and just recently my father too.

I’m tipping he will be a different kind of creature come kick off 2025 if the others in my life are anything to go by. Children make you grow overnight but if he’s able to identify and get on top of his mental health it WILL look different to what we’ve seen.
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Nice comment MB. He has the talent and footy smarts. Hopefully his past ankle injury won’t hamper him to much. But yeah that’s what I took away, it’s mental for him. Fingers crossed for him and obviously the team we want a Hastings that will play to his potential.
 
After the disappointment of this year's Round 1 game against Canberra, the team cannot get complacent at all against the Tigers.

Jarome Luai has never lost to the Knights before so hopefully that changes in Round 1 2025.
 
Francis Manuleleua
I've tried to find out about him.
When we signed him POS said he had been watching him for years and he could play in the halves but was likely to be a skillful edge forward.
POS said he was 105kg
His profiles says he is 20 and 110kg.
He never played reserve grade for Penrith - 18th man once.
So he is a prop sized 20 year old who used to be a half.
 
POS has been here for a very short period of time and yet we're heading into next season with at least half a dozen genuine up and comers raring to make a claim to the 17.

At this rate we won't need to sign any establishment stars to improve our squad over the next handful of seasons (bar a 7).

This is what the best clubs have. They all have excellent prospects banging the door down lifting the floor and eventually the ceiling performance of the club.
 
Billy said:
Francis Manuleleua
I've tried to find out about him.
When we signed him POS said he had been watching him for years and he could play in the halves but was likely to be a skillful edge forward.
POS said he was 105kg
His profiles says he is 20 and 110kg.
He never played reserve grade for Penrith - 18th man once.
So he is a prop sized 20 year old who used to be a half.
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If this is the kid from Penrith?
I was told by someone who works with the juniors there that he has all the natural attributes and talent in the world and could become anything.
Does have some effort and training issue though, hopefully the Knights can fix that and get him motivated. Or it could just come with age and experience.
I've got high hopes.
 
Les Misérables said:
POS has been here for a very short period of time and yet we're heading into next season with at least half a dozen genuine up and comers raring to make a claim to the 17.

At this rate we won't need to sign any establishment stars to improve our squad over the next handful of seasons (bar a 7).

This is what the best clubs have. They all have excellent prospects banging the door down lifting the floor and eventually the ceiling performance of the club.
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Most interesting point is majority of the kids training in Pre season now were all discovered/signed by Knights well before POS. So we haven't even seen his talent identifying yet. Except for Anna and Manuleleua. Its very, very exciting and if done well a very capable club in a year or two.
 
Very sad to read about Jacko’s struggles.

Sounds like the Welfare Manager and AOB are very good a helping players who are dealing with emotional distress and that Jacko has been getting excellent support.
 
MBQLD said:
Well don’t I look and feel like the biggest fattest turd in the world sheesh 🤣
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So this article was from February. Diagnosis OCD. But in the let's trot podcast he had recently he says he is also has ADHD. Interesting looking back at the year he had this year. The relationship dramas got worse.

Well at least himself, coaches, players are aware that he has mental health issues. He is on medication so hopefully he can work it out because if we don’t sign another 7 for next year we need him or Coggs to step up.
 
A couple more new faces at training:

Schiller in the white bib looking like he's laying down the law on something. I assume very left is Loza based on the hair but his arms look huge so it might be someone new. Maybe just flexing with the camera out.

Second pic - can't really see a face but I don't recognise the player to De Courcey's left with the sleeve and behind ear tattoo.

467536296_3611419375827534_1017157200644144826_n.jpg
467435449_1114942000247663_2332204536835524988_n.jpg
 
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