The Newcastle Knights dealt with several long-term injuries while still completing an impressive 2020 NRL season. They’re after more in 2021.
2020 Wrap
Not enough has been made of the Knights’ effort to finish the 2020 NRL season in 7th place. An incoming rookie coach, a COVID-disrupted season and an almost laughable injury toll were navigated admirably by Newcastle last year, and with some better luck they should be primed for a strong season in 2021.
Long-term injuries to key players in key positions was a week-to-week dilemma for coach Adam O’Brien, and for the most part the fill-ins delivered. Kurt Mann had a whale of a year, playing in the halves or at hooker when needed to be one of Newcastle’s best and most consistent players in a disjointed season. Meanwhile, the Knights also unearthed teen sensation Bradman Best, who firmly cemented his spot in Newcastle’s backline with a breakout season in 2020.
Despite the hangover of an injury-riddled 2020 still lingering for a few players in the first-choice 17, the Knights shape as a probable Top 8 team given what we saw last season.
Predicted Profile
What will the Newcastle Knights look like and how will they play? We take a stab at profiling their playing style ahead of Round 1.
Newcastle’s forward pack is undeniably their strength heading into 2021.
Even with superstars like Kalyn Ponga in the backline, the Knights should win most of their games through the middle third this year as they welcome back some key names to the pack.
Jayden Brailey was a star signing when Newcastle poached the hooker from Cronulla in 2019, and his return to dummy-half in 2021 should bring the best out of an already impressive forward pack including David Klemmer, the Saifiti brothers and Tyson Frizell. Brailey had two try assists in his last game for Newcastle back in Round 2 last season, and both were good examples of his vision, decision making and execution from dummy-half.
The unlikely combination of Klemmer and Connor Watson through the middle will also be something to watch out for this season.
Klemmer was the NRL’s second-most prolific offloader in 2020 and he should be all the more effective with Watson lurking in his giant shadow. Watson’s elevation from utility back to lock-forward fits like a glove with the changes to the modern game and his running and support play – Watson’s greatest strengths – will be key to how the Knights’ attack around the ruck in 2021.
In good ball, Kalyn Ponga sweeping out the back is always going to be a feature, but not one Newcastle should be over-reliant upon this season. Brailey and Watson present creative attacking options through the middle, while Mitchell Pearce’s receipts per game average should drop significantly with either Kurt Mann or Blake Green demanding the ball in the halves more often in 2021.
On the edges, imposing line-running forwards in Tyson Frizell, Mitch Barnett or Lachlan Fitzgibbon will hold up opposition defenders effectively as Ponga looks to link with his outside men – namely a charging Bradman Best. The barnstorming centre crashed onto the scene in 2020 and looms as Newcastle’s go-to strike player out wide and close to the line.
The left edge remains Newcastle’s best avenue in attack, but they look a better-balanced side with weapons across the park.
2021 NRL Notepad
Jason Oliver cracks open his notepad to find a key player, style or stat to keep an eye on this season.
Mitchell Pearce
Nathan Cleary was the only non-hooker in the NRL to average more touches per game than Mitchell Pearce last season.
The Knights veteran got his hands on the ball 62.9 times per game. While undoubtedly the commander of the Knights attack, Pearce didn’t justify the amount of ball he received from dummy half every week.
Over-calling for the ball without any plan after receiving it, Pearce was too often caught flat-footed and without options. Newcastle’s 5th-tackle options suffered heavily as a result while Pearce forced the issue more than we’re accustomed to seeing.
Knights assistant coach Willie Peters spoke of Jayden Brailey’s influence on the team throughout his two games last season on the Talking League podcast. His influence on Mitchell Pearce, in particular:
“He was a big loss for us. He is a real calming influence for Mitchell. When he [Brailey] saw something one way he would take the opportunity, where a younger hooker coming in, and with Mitchell being a dominant player, could probably call for the footy and get it when he’s not in space or he shouldn’t be getting the ball. Jayden is more experienced, looks up and plays his eyes better than young guys coming in. He helped Mitchell the first two games and he will do that again when he comes back this year.”
Pearce is a key component to the Knights attack, but the less he is forced to create himself, the better. They aren’t short for creativity. Kalyn Ponga can put on a try from anywhere on the field, Kurt Mann found his feet as a regular first-grader in 2020 and Connor Watson is an exciting prospect at lock. Blake Green’s return will take even more pressure off Pearce and allow him to pop up when it suits too.
Pearce was asked to do too much last season. It’s going to be interesting to see how the added experience at dummy half and five-eighth when the team is 100% healthy impacts his performance in 2021.
Preseason NRL Notepad: How effective can Watson be at #13?
“Heads In” 2021
Oscar Pannifex unpacks a scrum of three key questions ahead of the 2021 NRL season.
Centre-Field Scrum – What’s centre-frame in the Rugby League lens this season?
Consistency was the word of the year for coach Adam O’Brien throughout his first season in charge of the Newcastle Knights in 2020.
Or a lack thereof it.
As the most horrific injury toll in recent memory took effect, the Knights debuted five players in key playmaking positions and used a frankly absurd eleven different players in the spine for extended periods throughout the season.
Brailey made his club debut in Round 1 and lasted just two games. Chris Randall in turn made his NRL debut the following week but would manage only six more throughout the season. Emergency signing Andrew McCullough was the perfect replacement until going down in Round 11 to end an eight game cameo in Newcastle. Tex Hoy debuted at fullback and managed nine appearances that year while yet another mid-season recruit – five-eighth Blake Green – lined up just three times in the halves before an ACL injury ruled him out too… I could go on. It’s no wonder the Knights struggled with consistency in 2020.
We have to go all the way back to Rounds 1 and 2 of last season to see the last time Adam O’Brien picked arguably his first-choice 17 for consecutive games.
As a result, we saw Newcastle get up for big games one week before dropping the ball the next against a bottom-placed team. A 7th placed finish seems a good achievement considering the odds against them last year, and with some better luck in the injury department Newcastle look primed to play finals footy again in 2021.
Right Scrum-Line – Who is feeling the pressure this season?
Bradman Best enjoyed a sensational 2020 season on Newcastle’s left edge, running in eight tries and four assists in 11 games to mark himself as a player of the future. The pressure is now on for him to deliver week-to-week, as opposition defenders prepare to limit his impact on games.
Best is a running centre – of that there is no doubt.
At 182cm and 103kgs, Best is almost impossible to stop close to the line when running hard unders, and his in-and-away embarrassed opposition defenders a few times when given the ball in space last season.
He’s also got good hands for a big fella and while not remembered for the try assists, Best showed us glimpses of a skillset that could see him used more as a creative attacking player, rather than simply a charging hole runner. He has a clean catch-and-pass, supports well and can offload through the line. But it’s that split-second, inch-perfect grubber kick (below) that has me asking for more as we look towards 2021.
If Best can add a kick to his game, his offensive impact on the Knight’s left edge will increase tenfold. The threat of a little grubber in behind the line will keep opposition wingers second-guessing and subsequently create more space for himself or Edrick Lee on the paint to go to work.
Left Scrum-Line – My left-field thought for the season
After a breakout season in 2020, I’m looking forward to seeing Mitch Barnett’s continued development as he cements a spot in Newcastle’s back row.
Watson’s elevation to the #13 position and Lachlan Fitzgibbon’s offseason shoulder injury means Barnett will likely start at second-row, forming a dangerous attacking left edge alongside Bradman Best and Edrick Lee.
Barnett has ground out a reputation as a no-frills, tough-as-nails forward enforcer. He’s a tireless defender and loves coming out of the line to put on a shot or force an error.
But underneath all this is an unlikely skill-set that should find Barnett right at home on the edge, in more than just a running backrower’s role.
Playing just 13 games last season, Barnett’s 11 line engagements and 49 general-play passes (per Fox Sports Lab) show he is capable enough to distribute before the line and shift the ball across-field. He can also play through the line; 22 tackle breaks and 24 offloads are numbers that should only increase as Barnett transitions to the edge and is given a little more room to move.
A Barnett/Frizell back-row combination has potential to be one of the better edge duos in the competition. Their mobility complements Newcastle’s giant middle forwards well and their line running will be crucial to any sweeping backline shifts from Kalyn Ponga and the Knights in 2021.
Peak, Pass, Pit
Oscar and Jason give their predicted peak for the Knights in 2021 along with a pass mark and worst-case scenario.
Peak
Finals Week 3: The Novacastrians look set for another finals series in 2021, should they have some better luck with injuries. Ponga, Best, Frizell and Klemmer are elite players in their respective positions when playing at their peak, and Adam O’Brien has built a solid team around his key men. They mightn’t be a top-four side just yet, but this Knights squad is on the up. ~OP
Prelim: The Knights have the pack to battle through the finals and the attacking flare to score points when it matters. Questions still remain over their readiness for big games and an injury to Pearce or Ponga still has the potential to derail their season. But if the Knights can stay healthy and build on 2020, a lengthy run through September isn’t out of the question. ~JO
Pass
Top 8: An improvement on last year’s seventh place finish will be expected coming into this season, considering the extent of their injury toll in 2020 and the adjustments that come with a new coach. Newcastles’ young stars are another year wiser, and the club has recruited well in key areas. ~OP
6th: The top four or five teams appear to be set for most footy fans. The Knights need to ensure they’re the best of the rest if they’re to continue their rise. Whether they make it to Week 2 of the finals or not, 6th on the ladder would signal a much-needed improvement in regular season consistency. ~JO
Pit
9th-10th: The NRL competition isn’t getting any easier, and there are arguably more teams realistically in contention for the eight than in recent years. The depth in their outside backs isn’t great, and if the Knights are slow to start or key men go down injured again, it could be another long year of sombre post-match pressers from Adam O’Brien on his way to falling narrowly short of the finals. ~OP
7th-8th: Missing the Top 8 shouldn’t even be a consideration for this group – not after what they displayed in 2020. Adam O’Brien has had a season (albeit a strange one) to implement his style and structures. With a Top 8 calibre roster, the Knights should grind out enough wins to play finals footy at the very worst. ~JO
*All stats from NRL.com/Stats unless stated otherwise