KNIGHTS coach Nathan Brown believes centre Joe Wardle brings value for money and better balance to his NRL squad after confirming a player swap with Huddersfield for Jake Mamo on Tuesday.
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Newcastle have long been in talks with the English Super League club, who have former Knights coach Rick Stone at the helm, about the trade, which has led to Mamo being released from the final year of his contract to take up a two-season deal with the Giants.
Wardle has signed a three-year deal with Newcastle, who he had originally agreed to join from 2018.
“It took its time but I think at the end of the day Jake was happy with the idea of going to England and Joe was keen to come this way,” Brown said. “I think it’s a good deal for both parties.”
Brown coached Wardle at Huddersfield and said the “robust type of centre”, who can play back-row, “certainly gives our squad a lot better balance”.
“I took Joe from Bradford to Huddersfield as a kid and I coached Joe for a number of years,” he said.
“A good friend of mine coached him after that and I’ve followed his career. The English Super League, I watch that quite regularly.
“Having been over there for six years, it’s something that I follow as much as I can, but a lot of these decisions are made on value for money, and for the price that we can get Joe for, we feel he’s very, very good salary cap value for what he can bring to the club.
“He’s at a good age, he’s 25, he’s played 140 Super League games, so he’s got good experience.”
Brown said the trade was a great opportunity for Mamo, who debuted for the Knights in 2014 and played 22 games.
“Jake really wants to play fullback and Stoney’s looking for a fullback, Stoney knows Jake well and Jake can get a lot of experience playing in the Super League,” he said.
“Who knows what may happen for Jake down the track but it certainly allows Jake to play positionally. He’s a young, single bloke and he loves travelling as well, so it’s not only a football thing I think for Jake, it’s a lifestyle opportunity as well.”
Despite the move, Brown said Mamo was an exciting young player who could develop and return to the NRL. The Knights have recruited Cowboys 18-year-old Kalyn Ponga from 2018 as their long-term fullback.
“Most of our best fullbacks are smaller-type players, similar to Jake, they are not big in stature, but they can all probably play five-eighth and their understanding of the game is very high,” he said. “So Jake going over and getting a lot experience of playing fullback and learning the smaller parts of the game would benefit him long term. I’ve spoken to Jake about that and Jake understands that.”
Brown believed fullback was “a tough spot to learn, especially at a club that’s got a lot of younger players” and the Super League was the right step for Mamo.
“The NRL can be quite unforgiving and to learn to play fullback and for Jake to get the understanding of where the game is for a fullback, it’s going to take a bit of time,” he said. “There was a time 10, 15, 20 years ago when reserve grade was strong and they’d spend time in reserve grade, but definitely the right course for Jake to become a long-term fullback is in the Super League because beyond the NRL, it’s the next best competition.”
