KNIGHTS coach Brian Smith reckons the return of underrated utility Matt Hilder will allow him to replace one tireless toiler with another.
Hilder has missed Newcastle's past five matches since breaking his left thumb in their 28-12 loss to Manly at Gosford on June 28. The Knights lost first-choice dummy-half Danny Buderus to a knee injury at the same time, only adding to Hilder's frustration.
But Hilder proved his fitness at training yesterday and will return against former club Gold Coast at Skilled Park on Monday night.
Smith named Hilder on the bench but said the 26-year-old trojan would spend plenty of time in the back row, helping offset the loss of workhorse lock Zeb Taia.
Taia tore the medial ligament in his left knee in the final 10 minutes of Newcastle's 32-12 victory over his old team Parramatta at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Monday and is at long odds to play again this season.
"Matty will be back to where he's been all year. He'll cover Beds [Buderus] if need be, but he'll play a bit of 13 for sure at some stage," Smith said.
"He's been a really important player in our season, and I think he's probably surprised everybody except himself.
"He's done a wonderful job for us and he's a very welcome addition back to our crew.
"Like Zeb, he has plenty of minutes in him, and his enthusiasm and his willingness he's the sort of player that volunteers when the chips are down have won him the respect of everyone at the Knights.
"I've had a lot of favourable comment from other people about him, just generally in the community, about how they didn't really know how good he was."
Hilder said he was keen to get back on the field, regardless of the opposition.
"It's not that I was desperate to come back for this game; I'm just keen to get back no matter who we were playing. It wouldn't have worried me too much if I missed this game," he said.
"They're missing a lot of players, but in saying that, they'll still get up for a pretty torrid game up there. They've always put in a good performance up there so we know it's going to be a tough one, but I think we're a better side and I think we can get them."
Hilder maintained his already superior fitness with strength and conditioning coach Mick Reid's rehab group but was glad to be back among the ranks of the hale and hearty.
"I'll just try to get out there, get a bit of energy into the team and try to lift the blokes with a bit of enthusiasm. That's probably my main role, and if I can get a few good tackles under my belt early, that will set me up for a good game, I hope," he said.
"The boys looked pretty sharp in attack the other night, but we've got to stay focused on our defence. We've been pretty good defensively all year, so we've got to keep that up, let the attacking boys do their job, and we should get a few more wins up."
Link