2020 Preview: Newcastle Knights

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A new era begins for the Newcastle Knights in 2020 as Adam O'Brien takes the reins of a club hoping to break a seven-year finals drought.

Needing to regain the faith of supporters disheartened by a poor finish on and off the field last season - culminating in the premature departure of Nathan Brown - O'Brien will need to make an immediate impression in the Hunter having bided his time as an assistant under Craig Bellamy and Trent Robinson.

Running 11th in 2019 with highs and lows in equal measure, consistency proved a trend for the Knights - often for all the wrong reasons. Losing five of their first six matches before riding high with seven wins from their next eight, the post-Origin blues struck hard as the top four contenders plummeted to round out the year with two wins over the final ten rounds.

Taking a less active approach in the player market from recent seasons, Cronulla rake Jayden Brailey headlines the new faces, while former Junior Kangaroos duo Enari Tuala and Gehamat Shibasaki will be out to secure regular game time after shifting from North Queensland and Brisbane respectively.

Kicking off life under O'Brien with a Saturday afternoon clash opposite New Zealand at home, the first ten rounds will see the side fulfil half their away fixtures, including visits to Wagga against Canberra and a face off with South Sydney during Magic Round. Featuring at McDonald Jones Stadium six times either side of the representative period, the Knights will lead into September with road trips to Auckland and Brisbane before a final round showdown against Canterbury on Old Boys Day.

Why they'll win it

Possessing some of the finest players in the league and an exciting batch of youngsters primed to assert themselves after doing the hard yards, the Knights loom as a team capable of benefitting from a changing NRL landscape. With the likes of Melbourne, Cronulla and Sydney unlikely to recapture the heights of recent glory, the Knights will fancy their chances of taking the step up to the next level.

Why they won't

On paper the Knights strongest 17 contains many of the qualities needed to take down any opponent, however a few areas of contention run the risk of keeping the side below the game's upper echelon. Lacking a seasoned replacement to account for the departures of Jamie Buhrer and James Gavet, the side's forward depth may be tested should injuries arise. Similarly, coach O'Brien will need to resolve the long-running issue of finding a consistent partner to complement Mitchell Pearce in the halves.

2020 Draw

The Knights will be grateful to once again have largely avoided the dreaded 6pm Friday timeslot, with just two matches assigned, and only one of them being a home match.

Newcastle open the season at home to the Warriors on Saturday afternoon, but only two of their first six are at home. The following six weeks flip that script with only two journeys away from home between Rounds 7 and 12. They also don't leave NSW between Magic Round and after Origin III, a very handy period considering they're likely to be without stars Kalyn Ponga and David Klemmer during periods of that window.

Their run home is mostly away as well, with two of six matches to round out the season at home, including Old Boys Day in the final round against Canterbury.

Key player

Set to play a prominent role in where the Knights end up in 2020, Connor Watson will be hoping to nail down a permanent position and secure his future at the club. Falling victim to his own versatility having joined the Knights under the guise of securing a role as a starting playmaker, the 23-year-old has drifted throughout the spine without making a home for himself. Finishing last season as the club's preferred hooker, the recruitment of Jayden Brailey has the Indigenous All Stars debutant primed to play an important utility role drawing upon his game-changing spark.

Rookies to watch

With coach O'Brien set to shape the Knights squad into his own personal vision, the likes of Phoenix Crossland, Tex Hoy and Mathew Croker will be out to establish themselves as first graders.

Gaining a taste of the NRL last season, Crossland shapes as a dark horse for the vacant number six role; claiming the Knights reserve grade Player of the Year honour in 2019 and starring in the recent Perth 9s tournament, Hoy possesses the ability to cover a number of positions in the backline; while incumbent Jersey Flegg Player's Player Mathew Croker will come into the reckoning for a debut in the front row.

Player movement

New signings for 2020: Jayden Brailey (Sharks), Enari Tuala (Cowboys), Gehamat Shibasaki (Broncos)

Contracted for 2020: Mitch Barnett, Bradman Best, Phoenix Crossland, Herman Ese'ese, Beau Fermor, Lachlan Fitzgibbon, Tim Glasby, Aidan Guerra, Hymel Hunt, Brodie Jones, Josh King, David Klemmer, Edrick Lee, Mason Lino, Kurt Mann, Sione Mata'utia, Tautau Moga, Mitch Pearce, Kalyn Ponga, Nathan Ross, Daniel Saifiti, Jacob Saifiti, Pasami Saulo, Starford To'a, Connor Watson

2020 Development contracts: Matt Croker, Tex Hoy, Luke Huth, Jirah Momoisea, Nathanael Sasagi

Losses: Shaun Kenny-Dowall (Hull KR), Brayden Musgrove, Jamie Buhrer & Zac Woolford (all released), Slade Griffin & Nathan Ross (retired), James Gavet (Huddersfield), Jesse Ramien (Sharks), Danny Levi (Sea Eagles)

Best 17

1. Kalyn Ponga
2. Edrick Lee
3. Hymel Hunt
4. Bradman Best
5. Starford To'a
6. Kurt Mann
7. Mitchell Pearce (C)
8. David Klemmer
9. Jayden Brailey
10. Daniel Saifiti
11. Lachlan Fitzgibbon
12. Mitchell Barnett
13. Tim Glasby

14. Connor Watson
15. Herman Ese'ese
16. Sione Mata'utia
17. Aidan Guerra