Pre-season 2025

Billy

Billy

Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Some of the players I expect will train in the pre-Christmas squad.

Jye Linnane - young 6 or 7 who will be Flegg aged next year. He was one of the youngest to train last year and pretty much trained all the way up till the trials and did his ACL in about our second game of SG Ball.

Jermaine McKewn - also a young guy who trained all pre-season last year and has played Ball, Flegg and reserve grade this year, as well as for NSW under 19s. A second rower, but sometimes he thinks he's a hooker and jumps into dummy half and goes for a run.

Kyle McCarthy - another young guy going into his second pre-season. In the last pre-season he went in having played 3 games of reserve grade after starting the year in Ball. This year he has spent the whole season in reserves and got a debut in firsts.

Brock Greacen - He is a forward who is about 22 and was one of the better forwards in Flegg in 2022. He is doing very well in reserves this year without ever having a firstgrade pre-season. I think he could be a late developer who could be a firstgrader if he gets a proper pre-season.

Cody Hopwood - Prop forward who is 18 years old, a giant, played under 19s a year young this year and also has a big motor. He can play Ball next year, but has already had one game in reserve grade.

Connor Votano - I really thought he'd train last year, but he didn't. The biggest question for him is which position he should play. He has been tried in most numbers from 1 to 6 this year.

Elijah S/L - second rower with great footwork and passing skills. He played Ball in 2023 and was going great in reserve grade early this year, but is now back in Flegg.

Jacob Davis - young hooker who started the year in Flegg and is now looking good in reserves. He started his career in our Mathews side and was poached by Parra where he spent a few years before coming back this year.

Wilson De Courcey - a young centre who came to us from Penrith to play SG Ball. He has been playing Flegg, but currently injured, I don't know how bad.

Zac Herdegan - a young half who will be Flegg aged next year. We signed him last year and he was supposed to be here for the Ball season, but has been going well in the Qld comp instead. He should be finished school and be ready for a pre-season now.
 
De Courcey apparently fractured his shoulder. 6 month recovery. so has him coming back around February, missing most the preseason.

Agree with all the above, not sure about Greacen, but I haven't seen many games of late.

I'd also throw in Sosaia Latu the big winger who signed for 4 years recently. Might get him in for the early preseason and see how he progresses.

I don't think they can ignore Haami Loza for a Pre season reward. He has been going fantastic in Flegg this year and one of the main reasons they are in top 4 with a few rounds remaining.

Likes of Logan Aoake and Fletcher Hunt may get a run too, more so Logan as he's been in pathways for a couple years now and an Aus school boy. Hunt in his first full year with squad.
 
Billy said:
Some of the players I expect will train in the pre-Christmas squad.

Jye Linnane - young 6 or 7 who will be Flegg aged next year. He was one of the youngest to train last year and pretty much trained all the way up till the trials and did his ACL in about our second game of SG Ball.

Jermaine McKewn - also a young guy who trained all pre-season last year and has played Ball, Flegg and reserve grade this year, as well as for NSW under 19s. A second rower, but sometimes he thinks he's a hooker and jumps into dummy half and goes for a run.

Kyle McCarthy - another young guy going into his second pre-season. In the last pre-season he went in having played 3 games of reserve grade after starting the year in Ball. This year he has spent the whole season in reserves and got a debut in firsts.

Brock Greacen - He is a forward who is about 22 and was one of the better forwards in Flegg in 2022. He is doing very well in reserves this year without ever having a firstgrade pre-season. I think he could be a late developer who could be a firstgrader if he gets a proper pre-season.

Cody Hopwood - Prop forward who is 18 years old, a giant, played under 19s a year young this year and also has a big motor. He can play Ball next year, but has already had one game in reserve grade.

Connor Votano - I really thought he'd train last year, but he didn't. The biggest question for him is which position he should play. He has been tried in most numbers from 1 to 6 this year.

Elijah S/L - second rower with great footwork and passing skills. He played Ball in 2023 and was going great in reserve grade early this year, but is now back in Flegg.

Jacob Davis - young hooker who started the year in Flegg and is now looking good in reserves. He started his career in our Mathews side and was poached by Parra where he spent a few years before coming back this year.

Wilson De Courcey - a young centre who came to us from Penrith to play SG Ball. He has been playing Flegg, but currently injured, I don't know how bad.

Zac Herdegan - a young half who will be Flegg aged next year. We signed him last year and he was supposed to be here for the Ball season, but has been going well in the Qld comp instead. He should be finished school and be ready for a pre-season now.
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We seriously need to get as many of these guys as possible into Cup and provide opportunities for first grade, preferably off the bench first like Ryan did with Steve “Horse” Simpson. We need an injection of youth to bring enthusiasm, energy and credibility to our Knights. We are carrying far too many stale, uninterested, overpaid and comfortable players at the moment.
 
So Toohey says Tyrone Thompson will start training in November.
He also says we are near to signing a 19 year old winger from Union.

Pity that Leo will likely play in the Pacific championships, so will probably not join the squad till after christmas.

We'll possibly have a heap playing rep games - KPP for England, Frizz for Samoa (touring England) Best and maybe Ponga for Aus, Safs for Fiji, Thompson and Crossland for NZ.
 
Confirmed Top 30 so far:
1. Bradman Best
2. Jayden Brailey
3. Paul Bryan
4. Thomas Cant
5. Jack Cogger
6. Phoenix Crossland
7. Adam Elliott
8. Tyson Frizell
9. Dane Gagai
10. Tyson Gamble
11. Jackson Hastings
12. Jack Hetherington
13. Thomas Jenkins
14. Riley Jones
15. Dylan Lucas
16. Greg Marzhew
17. Kai Pearce-Paul
18. Kalyn Ponga
19. Will Pryce
20. Daniel Saifiti
21. Jacob Saifiti
22. Fletcher Sharpe
23. Sebastian Su'a
24. Leo Thompson
25. Kyle McCarthy*
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.

Development Deals:
1. Tyrone Thompson
2. Unknown 19 Year Old Winger
3.
4.
5.
6.
 
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Kyle McCarthy is signed till 2028 according to Toohey last week, but he didn't say if it was top 30, development, or even a junior contract.
 
Billy said:
Kyle McCarthy is signed till 2028 according to Toohey last week, but he didn't say if it was top 30, development, or even a junior contract.
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Added, just added him to top 30 with an asterix pending confirmation what deal he is on. Have i missed any other confirmed? Obviously Matt Arthur & James Schiller will be added when confirmed by club
 
Till this year you could trust nrl.com to have an accurate and up to date list of contracted players. They are well out of date now. They still have Fletcher Myers on our development list and he's a regular firstgrader at Souths or a month or more.
 
Billy said:
Till this year you could trust nrl.com to have an accurate and up to date list of contracted players. They are well out of date now. They still have Fletcher Myers on our development list and he's a regular firstgrader at Souths or a month or more.
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I feel like the social media teams from NRL and Fox are really lacking, sadly I have to rely on Clarkeys Collumn to get any news, even zero tackle is more accurate then nrl website these days and thats saying something
 
Billy said:
So Toohey says Tyrone Thompson will start training in November.
He also says we are near to signing a 19 year old winger from Union.

Pity that Leo will likely play in the Pacific championships, so will probably not join the squad till after christmas.

We'll possibly have a heap playing rep games - KPP for England, Frizz for Samoa (touring England) Best and maybe Ponga for Aus, Safs for Fiji, Thompson and Crossland for NZ.
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Friz is 🇹🇴 Mate Ma’a Tonga

Greggy is Samoan, but that backline is a tough nut to crack.
 
Another article on Leo and Tyrone Thompson gives the date of November 1st for the start of pre-season training.
Leo says that Tyrone is the same height as him but has a more solid build. He says Tyrone will need to lose some weight to play league and is already working on that. He also says the hardest part of converting to League for him was the terms used and it sounds like he sees his role as "interpreter" to let Tyrone know what everyone means. As Leo puts it "turn it into Union language" for him.
www.newcastleherald.com.au

Is Knights prop's twin brother the key to keeping him?

The 24-year-old can negotiate with other clubs from November 1.
www.newcastleherald.com.au www.newcastleherald.com.au
 
Junior said:
Confirmed Top 30 so far:
1. Bradman Best
2. Jayden Brailey
3. Paul Bryan
4. Thomas Cant
5. Jack Cogger
6. Phoenix Crossland
7. Adam Elliott
8. Tyson Frizell
9. Dane Gagai
10. Tyson Gamble
11. Jackson Hastings
12. Jack Hetherington
13. Thomas Jenkins
14. Riley Jones
15. Dylan Lucas
16. Greg Marzhew
17. Kai Pearce-Paul
18. Kalyn Ponga
19. Will Pryce
20. Daniel Saifiti
21. Jacob Saifiti
22. Fletcher Sharpe
23. Sebastian Su'a
24. Leo Thompson
25. Kyle McCarthy*
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.

Development Deals:
1. Tyrone Thompson
2. Unknown 19 Year Old Winger
3.
4.
5.
6.
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Going to predict all of Brailey, Jenkins and Hastings won't be at the club Round 1 next year. DSaf should be moved on imo but get the feeling he's going to continue to refuse to leave and stays.
 
Celticman98 said:
Going to predict all of Brailey, Jenkins and Hastings won't be at the club Round 1 next year. DSaf should be moved on imo but get the feeling he's going to continue to refuse to leave and stays.
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He hasn't refused to leave, he's refused to take a pay cut. Rightfully so I'm sure none of us would do that either. As much as i want him gone also it has to be mutually beneficial.
 
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