But if Sione Mata’utia’s work in the gym during the pre-season is anything to go by, the centre-come-backrower won’t be found wanting in the fitness and power department, a month out from the club’s first trial against St George Illawarra.

The 22-year-old former teenage Kangaroos winger is in the best shape of his career as he transitions back into the forwards and has unofficially become the club’s ‘man of steel’.

While the Knights don’t release specific details of what their players are lifting in the gym, it’s understood a big number have shattered personal bests in just about all of the lifting disciplines such as dead-lifts, bench-press, squats, weighted chin-ups, jumps and bench throws.

Knights high performance boss Balin Cupples could not split Mata’utia and Herman Ese’ese when it came to who was the strongest while pound for pound, Connor Watson was right up there with Mata’utia.

“They would probably be our top three overall,” Cupples said. “Sione, across all lifts, is just a real physical specimen. But most of the boys have had multiple increases across all areas.

“Across all the programs, we pride ourselves on striving for the personal bests and pre-Christmas, we were getting boys with PB’s in body composition and we were only halfway through the pre-season.

“It’s about not putting limits on yourself. We have brought in some new ideas on how to do things and it’s a testament to the players how well they have bought in. It’s produced physical rewards and hopefully, that can turn into footy rewards for us as well.”

Watson, who says he is faster and stronger than he has ever been, is not surprised by Mata’utia’s gym rating.

“We all say he is a specimen,” Watson says. “I’m lifting with the backs and he’s in the forwards group but word gets around about what other blokes are lifting and with him, it is pretty big numbers.”

Mata’utia admits he has really pushed himself hard in the pre-season with the competition for positions in the top 17 so fierce,

"I am comfortable where I am at physically and mentally, especially off field, it is probably the best I've been,” he said. “I just need to keep that on the field and keep training hard and see where it takes me.”

Knights coach Nathan Brown believes Mata’utia is at a good stage in his life on and off the field.

“He’s had a really good pre-season, he’s got engaged, he’s got a little one and his off-field stuff seems to be going really well and that's bringing with it good consistency in his training,” he said.

“He’s only 22 but he’s played 90 games so he’s played enough to know what he needs to do to become the best player he can be.”