But after a couple of weeks with Newcastle, the 21-year-old is quickly settling in and working towards his goal - winning a starting spot at centre.

Shibasaki played 12 NRL games, including eight at centre, for Brisbane last season but he was released to take up a three-year deal at Newcastle and free up room at the Broncos for Storm halfback Brodie Croft.

The Townsville product is coming to the end of just his second week training with his new club, after four weeks of pre-season with Brisbane.

"It was very quick," Shibasaki said. "It was not unexpected but it was all very sudden. The decision was made only about half a week before I moved. I moved down on the weekend and started on the Monday.

"But I'm used to the change, because I moved out of home straight out of high school.

"My partner and my brother are coming down after Chrissy, but at the moment I'm by myself.

"Some of the boys are helping out with accommodation, just for the last two weeks before the break, then I'll get all my stuff sorted in the new year."

Shibasaki said he made the move because he believed Newcastle "can really get the best out of me".

"At the start I was a bit nervous, only because it was a change, something different," he said.

"I was at the Broncos since I was 15, so I don't know any other club, so I was obviously nervous about my decision. But I'm pretty happy about it at the moment, because I just want to play first grade.

"I had the option to stay the Broncos but I just thought going to the Knights was best for my development."

Shibasaki, a three-time Maroons under-20s centre, also played on the wing and off the bench at Brisbane but he was keen to lock down his favourite spot at Newcastle.

"I'm pretty much open to cracking it here at centre, but I do play various positions - centre, wing, and fullback if they need me," he said. "But right now I'm focusing on trying to play centre."

He will be up against the likes of Enari Tuala, Edrick Lee, Bradman Best, Hymel Hunt, Tautau Moga and Starford To'a for a start in the outside backs under new coach Adam O'Brien.

Shibasaki, who knows Tuala well from their junior days in north Queensland, was ready for the challenge.

"Hymel has played the majority of his games at centre, then you've got Tautau, who is really experienced as well," he said. "Then there's young guys like Starford and Bradman Best, so there's good variety of outside backs here, so that will help me with my development as well.

"We're all learning off each other so it's definitely all good, healthy competition we've got here.

"There's definitely spots up for grabs for anyone.

"On the field we're competing with our efforts, but off the field we're all becoming really good mates and that's probably the best thing about it."

Knights chief executive Phil Gardner said signing Shibasaki "was a real coup" for O'Brien and recruitment manager Alex McKinnon.

"Gehamat is a really talented footballer and he played his junior rep football with KP [Kalyn Ponga], so they have already formed a great relationship," Gardner said.

"And you watch Gehamat on the field, he talks all the time, he's a real organiser, which is what we need."