2016 NRL Preview - Newcastle Knights

Five words are used best to describe what lies ahead for the Newcastle Knights in 2016 - it can't get much worse.

It can't get much worse than winning the first four games and then only winning a handful of games after that.

It can't get much worse than having a coach who arguably didn't want to be there.

And it certainly can't get much worse than knowing you were the worst team in the competition and knowing you have that "wooden spooners" tag hanging over your head for an entire 12 months.

The change in the playing roster is the biggest difference for the Novocastrians from 2015 into 2016.

Gone are the likes of Clint Newton, Beau Scott, David Fa'aologo, Chris Houston and for the first time in a long time, the red-and-blue won't have a Gidley on the team sheet.

But what the Knights will lose in experience they can pick up by way of youthful exuberance, albeit unknown.

Names like Danny Levi, Jake Mamo, the Mata'utia brothers Sione, Chanel and Pat, along with Robbie Rochow and Korbin Sims give the Knights a rather different look to last year.

Throw in Jarrod Mullen and Trent Hodkinson in the halves along with the experience of Jeremy Smith and Tariq Sims and all of a sudden the Knights outfit doesn't look so bad.

WHY THEY'LL WIN IT

Their backs will be led by the halves combination of Trent Hodkinson and Jarrod Mullen. Hodkinson is the incumbent NSW Origin halfback which will help Mullen's game immensely and enable him to stand a bit wider and take advantage of his best asset - his running game. While unknown, the backline has a lot of strike power and can score points from anywhere on the field provided they see early ball.

WHY THEY WON'T

Depth is an issue particularly in the forwards. The loss of Newton, Scott and Houston will put even more pressure on the Sims brothers and Robbie Rochow to stay fit for a large portion of the season. Add the departure of Joseph Tapine into the mix and little-known twins Jacob and Daniel Saifiti could be closer to a first-grade debut than many people think.

KEY PLAYER

Trent Hodkinson
The former Bulldog arrives in the Hunter with many long-suffering Knights fans hoping he can be the answer to their halfback problems.
Hodkinson will steer the Knights around the park, but he needs his forwards to lay a solid platform. If that happens, five-eighth Jarrod Mullen will be a lot more effective and should be able to concentrate on only his game.

ROOKIES TO WATCH

Second-rower Daniel Saifiti and prop Jacob Saifiti
The twins were in good form for the Knights NYC side 2015 and represented the Fiji Bati in a rep match against Papua New Guinea on the Gold Coast. They were named by Knights coach Nathan Brown in last weekend's Auckland Nines competition which indicated he felt they could be pushing for a first grade spot throughout the year.

PLAYER MOVEMENT IN
Trent Hodkinson (Bulldogs)
Mickey Paea (ESL - Hull FC)
Will Pearsall (Sea Eagles)
David Bhana (Warriors)

PLAYER MOVEMENT OUT
Kurt Gidley (ESL - Warrington)
Beau Scott, Honeti Tuha (Eels)
Todd Lowrie, Clint Newton, David Fa'alogo (retirement)
Carlos Tuimavave (ESL - Hull FC)
Tyrone Roberts (Titans)
Adam Clydsdale (Raiders)
Kerrod Holland (Bulldogs)
Chris Houston (ESL - Widnes)
Joseph Tapine (Raiders)

BEST 17
1. Jake Mamo
2. Nathan Ross
3. Dane Gagai
4. Sione Mata'utia
5. Akuila Uate
6. Jarrod Mullen
7. Trent Hodkinson
8. Kade Snowden
9. Danny Levi
10. Korbin Sims
11. Robbie Rochow
12. Tariq Sims
13. Jeremy Smith

14. Tyler Randell
15. Pauli Pauli
16. Jack Stockwell
17. Mickey Paea