2023 Preview: Newcastle Knights

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Changes at Newcastle as Knights face pressure to perform.

The Newcastle Knights are poised to enter a new era in 2023, and expectations are high in Newcastle. With coach Adam O'Brien entering his fourth season with the club, he'll need to learn from last year's underwhelming effort to ensure his immediate future with the Knights.

Flopping down to 14th after two consecutive finals appearances, 2022 was a year to forget for the Knights. Injuries burdened the squad from day one, with hooker Jayden Brailey and then-fullback Kalyn Ponga dealing with extended sideline stints. Still, effort, resilience, and consistency were seriously lacking.

Pre-season challenge losses to Cronulla and Parramatta on the Central Coast won't lift spirits in Newcastle prior to the season proper, however the matches provided a good opportunity to test their new-look backline featuring Lachlan Miller, Kalyn Ponga, and Jackson Hastings.

They will begin their NRL campaign with a trip across the ditch to Wellington, where the Warriors will be waiting.

Why They'll Win It

Over the past year, the Knights have massively upgraded their halves. Last season saw Jake Clifford and Adam Clune thrown together, with Kurt Mann, Simi Sasagi, and Phoenix Crossland all also fighting for the six spot.

In 2023, the now quite experienced Jackson Hastings has made the move to the Knights, and he will almost certainly line up as their starting halfback. With Kalyn Ponga poised to shift into the five-eighth role, and Kurt Mann still sitting in the background, the halves combination certainly looks more promising this year for Newcastle.

Why They Won't

Despite the upgrades, the Knights' spine is an oddball one. The NRL inexperience of Lachlan Miller at fullback is a big risk, as is Ponga's expected shift into the halves. Both of these moves could certainly pay off, but there is a good chance of them backfiring.

Jackson Hastings, new to the club, will have the job of steering the team around from halfback with proven hooker Jayden Brailey to help him out. So, of the four expected spine players - two are new to the club (one of whom with just a handful of NRL appearances), one is making a major positional shift, and one only played eight NRL games last year due to injury. They'll certainly need to gel together quickly.

Key Player

Kalyn Ponga is expected to make his long-anticipated move into the halves this season. As a young player coming through the systems, he was touted as one of the game's most exciting fullback prospects. Now aged 24, injuries have crueled Ponga and the Knights, and a highly publicised incident involving a certain toilet cubicle last season increased noise in the media about Ponga not reaching his full potential.

With a clean slate playing in the halves in 2023, Ponga will see this season as an opportunity to prove that he is one of the best players in the game. How successfully his positional switch and Newcastle's subsequent backline shuffle goes could be the difference between a competitive Knights outfit, or another disappointing year.

Rookie to Watch

Bailey Hodgson's three year contract with Newcastle will come to an end in 2023, so the 20 year old will be looking to impress this season. The fullback has a good chance of making his NRL debut in the near future due to Kalyn Ponga's impending move to the halves, however Lachlan Miller's recent signing will move Hodgson down the line.

Born in Hull, Hodgson made his Super League debut at just 18 years of age for Castleford. Having represented England on the international stage as a junior, the youngster has shown plenty of promise throughout his career so far. Unfortunately, injuries have continuously set him back during his time at the Knights, with Hodgson making a total of just five NSW Cup appearances over the past two years.

2023 Knights squad

Player movement

Gains: Lachlan Miller (Cronulla), Jack Hetherington (Canterbury), Adam Elliott (Canberra), Tyson Gamble (Brisbane), Jackson Hastings (Wests Tigers), Greg Marzhew (Gold Coast)

Losses: Mitchell Barnett (Warriors), Edrick Lee, Anthony Milford (Dolphins), Jirah Momoisea (Parramatta), Tex Hoy (Hull FC), Sauaso Sue (Hull KR), Pasami Saulo (Canberra), David Klemmer (Wests Tigers), Chris Randall (Gold Coast), Brayden Musgrove (released)

Predicted 17

1. Lachlan Miller
2. Enari Tuala
3. Dane Gagai
4. Bradman Best
5. Dominic Young
6. Kalyn Ponga
7. Jackson Hastings
8. Jacob Saifiti
9. Jayden Brailey
10. Daniel Saifiti
11. Tyson Frizell
12. Lachlan Fitzgibbon
13. Adam Elliott

14. Jack Hetherington
15. Leo Thompson
16. Brodie Jones
17. Kurt Mann

2023 Knights fixtures

Some statistics courtesy RLP.