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Message: [QUOTE="Big Pete, post: 2790805, member: 1899"] [B]Newcastle[/B] The long rebuild for the once proud club continues. If it's any consolation, Newcastle will likely improve on their horrific season now that Brown has moved on a lot of dead weight. Brown knows it's a marathon and not a sprint, biding his time before he lands the type of signings that will turn the club around. Unfortunately for the Newcastle faithful, it will be another long year before they'll see the results of Brown's radical approach. The signing of boom rookie Kalyn Ponga on a five year deal worth $3 million ($600K a season) was a bold move by the club, albeit they won't see him until November as he honours his contract at the Cowboys. The question is who will fill the fullback role in the mean time? Reportedly Peter Mata'utia and Dylan Phythian are the front-runners for the role. While neither candidate can necessarily be considered a star, the benefit is that it allows Dane Gagai to return to his favoured right centre position. This has to be considered a positive as it provides the Knights with greater balance and a constant target down their right hand side. The same cannot be said about the rest of their backline. The likes of Ross, Sio and the Mata'utia brothers will have to be at their scheming best if the Knights are going to be competitive. One storyline that seems to be underplayed is the relationship between Jarrod Mullen and Nathan Brown. Mullen was set to be named captain until a series of disciplinary issues caused Brown to turn elsewhere. Since then their relationship has been cold at best with Brown playing Mullen at dummy half and experimenting with younger options hoping to find a suitable successor. Nobody can blame Brown for looking elsewhere. At one point, Mullen displayed all the promise, earning a shock call-up into the NSW Origin series. Then it all went wrong, untimely injuries and a loss of confidence plagued Mullen and despite patches of form he never lived up to his potential. Brown should cut bait, opt for Brock Lamb as the Knights five-eighth and build the team around him. Finally there's the forward pack which has been bolstered by the signings of Buhrer, Starling, Wardle & Kostjasyn. None of them can be considered superstars, but they strengthen a pack that often lacked consistensy and provides them with much needed experience. Arguably the most intriguing aspect of the Knights forward pack centres on the development of Korbin Sims (25), Jack Stockwell (25), Pauli Pauli (23), Mitch Barnett (23), Sione Mata'utia (21) and the Saifiti twins (21). If these players can improve, they could trouble teams around the ruck enabling players like Danny Levi, Nathan Ross, Dane Gagai & Brock Lamb to weave their magic. Normally there wouldn't be a discussion, but since the Knights are so future focused right now it's important that the club performs better in the NSW Cup (wooden spooners) and the NYC (10th). When Newcastle were at their best, they were known for their strong development pathways. This reputation has deserted them for the last decade despite a decent effort from Bennett to restore their system. Last year eight players graduated from their junior system and made their first grade debut. It was a step in the right direction from the club, but they need to be consistent ensure that they're developing those players as well as bringing through the Nick Meaneys, Luke Yates & Sam Stones of the side. It's still going to be a bumpy ride for the Knights, but you get the feeling that they've experienced the worst of it. [/QUOTE]

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