Have Adam O'Brien's Knights become too well-behaved for their own good under the new NRL rules introduced following the COVIC-19 epidemic shutdown?
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It's a conclusion you could easily draw from the statistics around the six-again tackle restarts that have been introduced to speed up the game and make it more free-flowing and entertaining.
On the surface, it would appear the Knights have adapted brilliantly to the new ruck rules and one referee system.
In five matches since the game re-booted, the Knights have given away just 11 six-again tackle restarts, the least of any team in the competition. That's a fraction over two per game.
By contrast, Penrith are the biggest offenders, giving away 28 or nearly six per game. At the same time, the Knights have been awarded 28 restarts, equal with the Bulldogs as the most in the competition.
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That indicates the Knights have been squeaky clean and doing everything right in the ruck, right? Well no, not exactly.
What they don't immediately show is the Knights have the slowest play-the-balls of any team in the competition and the fact they have only been pinged 11 times for not getting off the tackled player quick enough is an indication they are not dominating tackles and are getting off too quick.
It's a double-edged sword. The Knights might be getting more shots at their opponents but are attacking off the back of slower play-the-balls and their defence is being tested more because their opposition is playing the ball faster. There is a healthy balance there between both. The Knights must find it.
Being far more dominant in defence, which comes down to better initial contact, would be a good start.
Guerra's future
Aidan Guerra is three games shy of joining the NRL's 200 club but will let his body tell him when the time is right to hang up the boots.
There were those who doubted he had the legs to play a significant role for coach Adam O'Brien this year but his contribution since the COVID-19 shutdown has been very important.
"I'm playing it week by week at the moment," he said. "How the body is going to hold up through the thick of the season will probably make the decision for me. I'll give it another couple of weeks and see if my joints are screaming at me or they want some more."
The signing of Tyson Frizell will likely see him finish up at the Knights and possibly look to England.
Best of deals
Knights CEO Phil Gardner might have his work cut out if he goes ahead with his plan to try and sign teenage centre Bradman Best to the Newcastle Knights "for life".
Gardner and Knights footy general manager Danny Buderus have made no secret of their desire to extend Best's contract out for a far longer period than the two years he currently has remaining in the wake of his outstanding form for the club over the past six weeks.
When told the CEO's thoughts during the week, Best's manager Clinton Schifcofske's response was: "Tell him to ring me".
But he quickly qualified that by saying: "He's got two more years still to run and to be honest, it's probably important for him just to focus on footy at the moment. The deal he is on at the moment is a good one for him at this stage of his development."
Best's current deal was for four years and was signed back in November, 2018, nine months before he made his NRL debut after just turning 18. It's heavily incentive-based.
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Not bad sports
Thornton's Stewart James took aim at this column and the Knights in particular in a letter to the editor during the week, labeling the club's decision to shut out fans from the Eels and Bulldogs at home games over the next fortnight as an "act of bad sportsmanship".
Stewart, just a heads-up, with restrictions on crowd numbers, all clubs are doing the same thing.
Foundation flourishes
Given the circumstances with firstly the bushfires and then the unprecedented COVID-19 epidemic and the severe economic cost of trying to keep it at bay, Mark Hughes and his wonderful brain cancer Foundation was expecting to take a significant financial hit this year.
Projections of how much money they may raise went out the window with so many people suddenly out of work and doubts over whether their now annual Beanies for Brain Cancer NRL round would even go ahead.
They had already pre-ordered the beanies and there were fears they would be left with an unsold stockpile. They need not have worried and Hughes and his wife Kirralee can only shake their heads in amazement at the generosity of the public.
They have sold more than 150,000 beanies, selling out of the female version and have even sold some of the leftovers from previous years. That brings to around 650,000 the number of beanies the Foundation has sold in the six years of the campaign.
This year's campaign has so far raised around $2.6 million even though there was no direct selling to fans at grounds and all up now, the Foundation has raised in excess of $20 million to fund research to find a cure for the horrible disease.
"It's been an unbelievable response from people, particularly with everything that's gone on since the start of the year with the fires and then COVID," Hughes said.
"I can't thank the generosity of everyone enough and the people of Newcastle and the Hunter have again been amazing supporters."
It's been a big few weeks for Hughes and his family. On top of the great response to the beanie round, he had his regular four monthly scans earlier this week and was given the all clear.
Aku back in town
Former Knights fan favourite and Manly winger Aku Uate has returned to Newcastle with his family after cutting short his stint with English Super League club Huddersfield.
He is currently rehabbing an ankle injury and says he has not completely given up hope of continuing his rugby league career although a return to the NRL at 32 appears a remote hope. As for a tip for tomorrow's game, Uate says he is sitting on the fence.