Just how long does Nathan Brown have to turn around the Knights' fortunes before he is shown the door after a less than productive opening five weeks of the premiership?
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Apparently, it depends who you talk to.
If we are to believe some of the "well-connected" Sydney media, Brown's time is almost up. One scribe claimed the Knights coach had a month to turn things around or be sacked after the side's third round loss to Canberra.
By his reckoning, Brown will be among the coaching unemployed after the Parramatta game tomorrow week if he hasn't found a win by then.
That was news to Phil Gardner when we put the whole question of Brown's future and the speculation around it to the Knights boss this week.
Predictably, some would argue, Gardner backed his coach, calling the speculation "part of the theatre of rugby league" and claiming Brown's tenure in charge had not even been brought up internally, let alone discussed.
Significantly, Gardner also pointed out first grade results are not the only criteria he uses to establish the worth of a coach.
"Is there a better club coach than Nathan Brown out there," Gardner asked. "I for one don't think there is."
So who is out there? Even if the Knights wanted to make a change, who could they possibly turn to?
We've come up with a list of nine potential contenders but it is hardly a Group 1 field and really only strengthens Brown's hold on the job.
This time last year, ex-South Sydney premiership-winning coach Michael Maguire was unemployed and on the market. But he is now at Wests Tigers and no longer available.
Only four of the nine on our list - Anthony Griffin, Geoff Toovey, Trent Barrett and Cameron Ciraldo - have NRL coaching experience.
Griffin, the most experienced, was sacked by two clubs, Brisbane and Penrith. He was also interviewed by the Knights before Brown got the nod back in 2016 but pulled out of the race. The word was he was no chance of getting it back then.
Toovey and Barrett were both shown the door at Manly although Barrett is still on the Eagles payroll while former Knights player Ciraldo was caretaker coach at the Panthers when Griffin was axed late last season before Ivan Cleary came on board this year. He is still on the coaching staff.
The others on our list include current Queensland coach Kevin Walters, former NSW coach Laurie Daley, current St Helens coach Justin Holbrook, Sydney Roosters assistant coach Adam O'Brien and South Sydney assistant coach Jason Demetriou.
Holbrook, who played five NRL games for the Knights and coached in the lower grades at the Bulldogs and the Roosters, got a second interview for the Knights job before Brown was appointed, on route to his current English Super League gig.
O'Brien is highly thought of out of the Craig Bellamy/Melbourne Storm system and is now attacking coach under Trent Robinson at the Roosters.
As it stands, there is no play-it-save standout contender among that group and whether the Knights would be prepared to chance their arm with someone like O'Brien or Holbrook is questionable.
Of course, all this speculation will amount to zero if the Knights win a few games to ease the pressure and the player who holds the key to that happening heading into the clash tomorrow on the Gold Coast against the Titans is halfback Mitchell Pearce.
The Knights skipper, who was dynamic for the Knights last season, just hasn't found his groove this year and while he can't do it all on his own, there is a feeling within the playing group it will only take a moment or two of brilliance from Pearce for his game to turn around and take the rest of the team with him.
Happy to stay
Jesse Ramien has some management issues to deal with but it doesn't seem like the Knights will have too much trouble signing their boom centre long term.
He told us this week: "I would love to stay here if the club's interested. I'd definitely be open to it. I've only been here a few months but I'm loving my time here."
Edwards' career decision weighs heavy
A few weeks ago, this column revealed tough former NRL forward Joel Edwards had held talks with at least three local clubs with a view to potentially continuing his career in the Newcastle competition this season.
Cessnock, Kurri and Maitland had all spoken to him about this season.
We suggested at the time it would all be dependent on whether Edwards picked up another opportunity to continue a professional career overseas after playing in England last season.
Turns out he already has a concrete offer on the table from an English second tier club with the former Newcastle Knights, Canberra Raiders and Wests Tigers backrower contacting us this week to reveal the tragic circumstances surrounding the tough career decision he faces over the next week or so.
Edwards told us his mother Sharon was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer last week following a series of tests, leaving the big-hitting backrower struggling to work out what to do.
"We've only just got the shattering news to be honest and it has left things up in the air a fair bit," an emotional Edwards told us.
"We found out three weeks ago that Mum had a mass and it was diagnosed as pancreatic cancer last week. It's terminal. She will see the oncologist next week and they will decide then if it is worthwhile for her to have chemotherapy.
"I want to be there for Mum but she wants me to go continue on with my career and chase my dreams. The whole family does.
READ MORE NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS:
"I have an offer from a lower tier club in England. There is no deadline as such, I'm just working through the visa process so it's sort of ASAP at the moment.
"I still have aspirations to play professionally but if I don't go overseas and choose to stay around, I want to find a club. That's why I've spoken to a couple of local clubs to see if they are keen.
"I'd love for mum to see me play again. It's just a really tough decision.
"I'll wait and see what the oncologist says before I make a final decision. Like I said, my mum and my family all want me to go but I'm not sure what to do."
A Cessnock junior, Edwards played 108 NRL games with the Knights, Raiders and Tigers after a career spanning eight seasons.
