2017 Preview | Newcastle Knights

On the surface it may seem hard to identify many positives to emerge from the Knights horror 2016 season, but despite a campaign that saw the Novocastians register just one win and a draw, things appear to be heading in the right direction.

With coach Nathan Brown undertaking a drastic overhaul of the playing roster, the experience gained from such a trying year should see the Knights assert themselves as a side not to be underestimated.

Acquiring several seasoned campaigners to bolster the relative inexperience of the Newcastle squad, the likes of Jamie Buhrer, Rory Kostjasyn and Anthony Tupou will impart a winning mentality to the young Knights side, having come from some of the most successful teams of the past decade. Additional new faces Ken Sio, Jacob Gagan and Josh Starling should help drive competition for places in the top 17, while Englishman Joe Wardle will be hoping to evoke memories of former fan-favourite Brian Carney by making the transition from Super League. Notable departures include the loss of starting forwards Robbie Rochow, Korbin Sims, Tariq Sims and Jeremy Smith, however the biggest loss to hit the Knights is the almost certain career-ending suspension of playmaker Jarrod Mullen.

Beginning their 2017 campaign with an away trip across the ditch, the early rounds should provide an effective gauge of the progress made over the past twelve months, while the scheduling of back-to-back matches at home against the Titans (Rd 2) and Rabbitohs (Rd 3) may offer long-suffering supporter an early chance to experience victory; a feeling not felt since April 10 last year. Drawn to play just once during the Origin-affected rounds, against Canterbury in the sides only free-to-air televised match, the Knights will finish the year with four games at McDonald Jones Stadium, including an Old Boys Day match-up with reigning premiers Cronulla.

Why They'll Win It

From where the Knights are positioned heading into the new season, the likelihood of a Newcastle premiership in 2017 is slim at best. However, the measure of success for Nathan Brown's charges will be their ability to build upon the stretches of competitiveness displayed last year and transfer that into competition wins. With a much stronger and committed roster assembled heading into the new year, the Knights should surprise many with their aggressive defence and much-improved attacking fluency. Having displayed several touches of class at the Auckland Nines, likely five-eighth Brock Lamb should help to reduce the burden on captain Trent Hodkinson, while expectations of Danny Levi have the young hooker rated as the man to replace Issac Luke as New Zealand's first-choice rake. With Newcastle management opting to forgo short-term success, the Knights are rightly considered long shots of October glory, however continued development and investment could see the unknowns of 2017 become future NRL champions.

Why They Won't

While there are many promising signs for the future, the Knights still presently sit considerably behind the other 15 NRL clubs. Recording five fewer victories than their nearest rivals, Nathan Brown has a mammoth task to simply move the side out of wooden spoon territory, while the likely improvement of sides such as the Roosters and Eels will ensure the task isn't made any easier. Having conceded 800 points in 2016, the defensive issues that saw Newcastle sit on the wrong side of several half-century scorelines will need to be rectified, while the inability to score more than 20 points per game, outside of three occasions, will make it difficult for the side to prevail in high-scoring affairs.

Key Players

They may not be the biggest names in the NRL, but if debut seasons are any indication, it's only a matter of time before Daniel and Jacob Safiti hit the big time. A few months shy of their 21st birthday, the Fijian twins proved to be revelations for the struggling Knights throughout 2016, with their no-nonsense approaches and bruising defence endearing them to Newcastle supporters. Cited as potential starting props for the season opener against the Warriors, the Safitis have targeted a call-up for Fiji at the World Cup as a long-term goal, but should the pair continue their development higher honours may be on the horizon.

Rookies To Watch

Tasked with the job of filling the presumed void left by Jarrod Mullen, Brock Lamb can expect plenty of pressure heading into his first full season in the top grade, but if past performances are any indication the young playmaker should surprise many. Having been handed an NRL debut midway through 2016, the 20-year-old Maitland junior was expected to feature prominently before being struck down by a serious ankle injury. Back at full fitness, Lamb displayed considerable poise during the Auckland Nines to set up tries courtesy of vision usually reserved for elite playmakers. Still eligible for NYC, look for Lamb for be a mainstay of the Newcastle line-up during 2017.

Player Movements

Gains: Jamie Buhrer (Manly Sea Eagles), Jacob Gagan (Cronulla Sharks), Rory Kostjasyn (North Queensland Cowboys), Ken Sio (Hull KR), Josh Starling (Manly Sea Eagles), Anthony Tupou (Wakefield Trinity), Joe Wardle (Huddersfield Giants).

Losses: Jake Mamo (Huddersfield Giants), James McManus (retired), Robbie Rochow (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Korbin Sims (Brisbane Broncos), Jeremy Smith (retired), Kade Snowden (retired), Akuila Uate (Manly Sea Eagles).

Best 17

1. Peter Mata'utia
2. Nathan Ross
3. Dane Gagai
4. Brendan Elliot
5. Ken Sio
6. Brock Lamb
7. Trent Hodkinson (C)
8. Daniel Safiti
9. Rory Kostjasyn
10. Jacob Safiti
11. Sione Mata'utia
12. Jamie Buhrer
13. Mitchell Barnett 

14. Danny Levi
15. Josh Starling
16. Anthony Tupou
17. Joe Wardle

And a reserve 17...

1. Dylan Phythian
2. Jacob Gagan
3. Cory Denniss
4. Pat Mata'utia
5. Chanel Mata'utia
6. Jaelen Feeney
7. Jack Cogger
8. Sam Mataora
9. Tyler Randell
10. Josh King
11. Lachlan Fitzgibbon
12. Pauli Pauli
13. Mickey Paea

14. Will Pearsall
15. David Bhana
16. Jack Stockwell
17. Luke Yates

2017 Draw

Click below for a fullsize schedule of the 2017 Knight schedule which you can download for your laptop, desktop or tablet.