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KNIGHTS coach Brian Smith played Santa Claus yesterday and gave most of his "little helpers" an extra four days of Christmas holidays as a reward for their outstanding results in the first month of pre-season training.
Smith had planned to recall most of the full-time NRL squad on January 3 but said yesterday that only a handful of players would be required to return on that day, with the rest expected back on Monday, January 7.
The Knights will complete their first block of fitness and conditioning next Thursday then enjoy a family Christmas party together before going their separate ways until the new year.
"The boys came in and really ripped it again today so I gave them a good Christmas message today; a bit earlier than I'd planned," Smith said last night.
"I was originally thinking we'd have quite a few boys coming back fairly early, but I think we'll finish with probably eight or 10 of our long-term injureds, a couple of the younger boys, and any volunteers coming back on the third [of January].
"All the rest will be coming back on the seventh, so we're extremely pleased with their progress at this stage."
Smith said utility forward Chris Houston would be a late starter when training resumes, despite receiving an encouraging report after undergoing minor knee surgery last Friday to repair torn cartilage.
"He won't run again until after we get back. He might even be a week or so after we start back, but he's had some good news from his operation," the coach said.
"The surgeon told him that one of the flaps in the split in his cartilage was bending back and was trapped in the joint, so it was a fairly easy thing to stitch it back together as I understand it. It wasn't removed, which for young blokes is much better if they can retain the thing."
Halfback Luke Walsh has undergone further abdominal tests to determine the cause of his stomach ailments but is not expected to receive the results until later this week.
And just some other news...
FORMER livewire Knights fullback Milton Thaiday and rising star Tyren Mundine will play vital roles when the Newcastle All Blacks defend their NSW Aboriginal Knockout title in Newcastle next year.
The All Blacks secured the rights to host the three-day tournament when they were crowned champions at this year's carnival at Kempsey and made it official at yesterday's launch at No.1 Sportsground.
Thaiday and Mundine combined with former Newcastle representative halves Scott and Jacob Briggs and veteran Eddie Smith to win this year, and all five plan to play again on their home soil.
"It's been a long time since we hosted the tournament, and last time it was played here we had 64 teams," Smith said.
"This year at Kempsey we only had 16 teams, so we are hoping to build it back up to 64 again."
Thaiday said he was looking forward to the tournament.
"It's a great honour to go out and represent your people," he said.
The statewide knockout started in 1971, but Newcastle did not enter a team until 1975. Smith, who represented Newcastle during a stellar rugby league career, was the ball boy for the original side. He graduated into the team and was integral in Newcastle winning the knockout for the first time in 1987.
The following year the tournament was played at No.2 Sportsground and Peacock Field at Toronto, but next year it will be at No.1 and No.2 sportsgrounds on the October long weekend.
Officials are confident they will have at least 32 teams competing, meaning there will be $50,000 prizemoney $32,000 of which will go to the winners.