He's the NSW Blues and Kangaroos star who the Knights hope will help the club become a genuine NRL premiership force over the next three years.
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But ask new recruit Tyson Frizell what ultimately persuaded him to quit the Dragons after eight seasons and he'll tell you it wasn't the thought of winning a comp or playing alongside the likes of Mitchell Pearce, David Klemmer and Kalyn Ponga.
He says the biggest influence on his decision was a conversation he had with coach Adam O'Brien during a meeting in February, a week before his Dragons side took on the Knights in a trial.
"I probably keep coming back to that conversation with Adam," Frizell told us.
"In the end, it was probably what got me over the line."
So what did O'Brien say in the meeting, that also included CEO Phil Gardner and recruitment boss Alex McKinnon, that impressed the backrower so much?
"To be honest, I probably went in thinking I'll listen to what they have to say but in the back of my mind, I was thinking do I really want to leave the Dragons and come up here," he said.
"I was sort of half expecting them to tell me how I'd fit into the team and how I could help the Knights and get a pat on the back about my career when the truth is, I wasn't satisfied with where my game was at.
"So, when the first thing Adam says to me is 'I want to help you become a better player' and then he shows me how he's going to do it, it just opened by eyes.
"He told me he thought there was still room to improve. That's what I wanted to hear. I didn't want him patting me on the back."
O'Brien came prepared with video and stats and spelled out why Frizell and the Dragons weren't getting the best out of him.
"There was a lot of detail around it and I really liked what I heard," he said. "To be honest, I didn't expect anything like that. I'd never had someone show me or put it to me like that.
"When you are going okay, people are telling you you are going well and you can start to cruise a bit. He showed me some stuff I probably needed to see."
It took Frizell another couple of months to make a final call [the Knights had almost given up hope of snaring him and had started making enquiries about John Bateman]. Both clubs were offering three year deals and the money [$2.1 million] was virtually the same.
"Leaving the Dragons was just such a hard decision to make and that's why it probably dragged out a bit because I didn't want to make it," he said. "In the end, what Adam said is what swayed me."
Frizell was in town for a few days this week with his wife Sammy and young boys Axton [almost 2] and Easton [6 weeks] for his first real good look around before going into Origin camp next week.
Knights' hospital chaos
A hospital casualty list as long as your arm has laid bare just how tough a season the Knights endured in 2020.
At last count, at least 12 players have undergone surgery at some stage this year with powerhouse teenage centre Bradman Best incredibly going under the knife on three separate occasions.
Best had an extra bone in his foot surgically removed and a tendon reattached during the pre-season before having an ankle syndesmosis operation in August.
He returned to play in his side's final two games but was back in hospital late last week to have an extra bone removed from his other foot with specialists saying it was only a matter of time before he fractured it as well.
Mitch Barnett and Connor Watson were others to have multiple surgeries.
Barnett underwent a serious early season neck operation that needed a three month rehabilitation and was back in hospital again early this week for elbow surgery.
Watson had surgery to repair ankle ligament damage suffered in the round 3 draw against Penrith before again going under the knife after rupturing his Achilles against the Bulldogs in round 11.
Hooker Jayden Brailey and five-eighth Blake Green both needed knee reconstructions while Andrew McCullough had his hamstring reattached to the bone. All three, as well as Watson were season-ending while Edrick Lee missed nine weeks after breaking his arm for a second time.
On top of those, Sione Mata'utia had ankle surgery while in the past week, Kalyn Ponga [shoulder], David Klemmer [knee] and Kurt Mann [finger] all underwent surgeries in hospital.
Green still on hold
Despite media speculation that veteran five-eighth Blake Green has already been released from the one year contract he signed with the Bulldogs before suffering his season-ending knee injury, the Knights say they have heard nothing official.
The Knights see Green as a long-term development coaching option but there is also talk he could play for the club next season once he recovers from his knee reconstruction to fill the five-eighth void if the Bulldogs decide to cut him loose.
Asked about the likelihood of Green returning to the Knights, CEO Phil Gardner said: "He's under contract to the Bulldogs so you'd have to ask them about that."
Interest in Lino
Don't be surprised if Mason Lino bobs up at the Canberra Raiders next season if the Green Machine's back-up halfback Sam Williams opts to return to England for another stint in the English Super League following interest from Wakefield Trinity.
The Raiders made some discrete enquiries about the Knights' goal-kicking playmaker early this week and he is one of a number of options they are considering should Williams ask to be released from the final year of his contract with the club.
Media man's exit
The Knights parted company with media manager Nathan Ryan on Thursday and have wasted no time finding a replacement. We're hearing the role will be more footy-orientated with ex-Knight and current Triple M caller Frank Barrett considered the favourite.
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