Recruitment And Retention Discussion

You'd have to think both McKay twins will get a pre-season.
Kade remained injury free in 2026 while his brother missed most of the season - but they could swap jumpers and you could never tell.
 
Billy said:
www.newcastleherald.com.au

Knights signings tracker: NRL market explodes, but what does it mean for Newcastle?

NRL transfer talk and every Knights players' contract status.
www.newcastleherald.com.au www.newcastleherald.com.au

Article that says 10 players come on the market for 2028 on Nov 1

Saifiti
Best
Hunt
Graham
Saulo
ESL
Hola
Schiller
McCarthy
Kepaoa
Arthur

No mention of any direction we may be leaning on any of them
Click to expand...
11 listed
Keep SAF, Best, Hunt, ??? Graham, Saulo, ESL McCarthy. Let go Hola, Schiller, Kepaoa, Arthur
 
Rostron - plays fullback, centre, wing, 5/8, halfback, hooker and probably lock.
Bishop - plays fullback, 5/8 and hooker
Cooper Votano - 5/8, but big enough to play in the forwards.
Butler - halfback but played 5/8 for Aus Schoolboys.
 
Gotta say right now both the Dylan Brown and Sandon Smith signings are looking like pretty good foresight from the club. With the obvious exception of Cleary coming off contract, there’s a real lack of genuine halves that are available next few years.
I mean they’re saying Zane Harrison wants $900k, the guys a rookie who’s played half a season. Walker is chasing big big dollars.
Our other signings this year are also smart business, gonna be clubs throwing silly money at players the next few weeks.
We’ve got a really elite and well balanced roster for the next two years really.
 
The Newy Juniors guy on Instagram just posted to people who follow him that there's a contingency plan "to balance the squads' firsts experience" if Best goes and "we won't be left short of left centre options both long and short term".

It's kind of weird, I think he's awesome, I think he's a match-winner, I think the window is wider open if he stays... but yeah obviously we can pivot if we lose him. Hunt has been okay there. Lucas or Sharpe can play there if needed, if others don't perform. Very malleable squad.
 
jamesgould said:
If Best decides to leave, do we think we go looking to recruit someone new, or go with Hunt and Winter, and potentially a cheaper back-up signing, and save that money for our back rowers?
Click to expand...
Yeah I think if Bradman does leave, the smart thing to do is just keep Hunt and put the money elsewhere.

Not sure why we’d spend all that money on someone like Bostock (yes I know he’s better now) but Hunt can be very good in the air as well, a quality that is proving to be a very important asset in the game now.

He also goes after the game which would be one criticism I have of Best. He does have a tendency to just wait for the ball to come to him. I think if you’re going to be a million dollar player, you need to make things happen yourself occasionally.

Hunt improved after every game he played this year. I think if he gets time to train and stay in one position he’ll improve a lot more as well, in time.
 
jamesgould said:
If Best decides to leave, do we think we go looking to recruit someone new, or go with Hunt and Winter, and potentially a cheaper back-up signing, and save that money for our back rowers?
Click to expand...
I think we have a wealth of riches for a centre.
I like most would like Best to stay he would only be hurting himself if he moves on considering the window the team is in.
Someone tell me Best is better than Lucas or Manaleleui, no he isn't. Both can play the left both can play centre better than Best.
We also have Hunt and Winter both are set to be game breakers both can tackle both can read a game. Both will also have a higher ceiling than Best.
We do not need to buy another centre.
 
Saying they are better than Best as an extremely specialised position like centre is extreme disrespect and baseless, Manu has never played at the NRL level at centre and played there in cup like 3 or so times which shows even the club think he is a much better second rower, Lucas was turned from a centre to a second rower because the club believed he was good but was always going to be stuck behind Best so they converted him, let’s not forget the last time Lucas played left centre for us he was awful.

All you’re saying is based on pure opinion unless you can show me how they are top 5 centres? because their is no fact to back it up, Lucas got converted because he was stuck behind Best you don’t have that happen if you are better than the guy ahead of you.

Manu has spent 99% of his career as a second rower and has never played centre at the NRL level against NRL competition.

We also have proof that the last time Lucas played centre he was around 11 to 12 step below that off Best, one is a international rep at centre while the other is on his couch and the other is playing lock for his team…

I love Lucas and Manu but saying their are better than Best at centre shows extreme naivety of the position, and how important it is and a lack of respect for a top 5 centre on the planet.
 
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