Former Kangaroos prop Mark O'Meley is in negotiations with the Newcastle Knights to join the club's full-time coaching staff for 2021 under head coach Adam O'Brien.
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O'Meley is understood to be high on the club's priority list to coach the Knights' NSW Cup side with the role expanded to also include working in the development area and with the NRL squad.
Meanwhile, the club has confirmed the signing of North Queensland Cowboys five-eighth Jake Clifford for the 2022 and 2023 seasons while Mason Lino's two-year stint in Newcastle has officially ended with the playmaker signing a three-year deal with English Super League club Wakefield.
Knights CEO Phil Gardner confirmed the club's interest in O'Meley ahead of pre-season training kicking off for a big chunk of the playing group tomorrow.
"Mark is someone we have been talking to among some others about a coaching role for next season,"Gardner told the Newcastle Herald.
"We're looking at another full-time appointment. A big focus of our coaching staff will be on developing our younger players to ultimately play first grade. And rather than bringing younger kids from outside the region to Newcastle for specialist training, we'll be sending our coaches out to them so as to make it easier for them and their parents and not disrupt their schooling."
The Knights have already formed a relationship with Farrar Agricultural College in Tamworth and are planning on setting up an academy in Port Macquarie.
If the O'Meley appointment goes ahead, it will be the first time in the club's history all of the Knights coaching staff will be full-time with the exception of contracted consultant Anthony Seibold, whose new position is set to be on a part-time basis.
O'Meley would join his former Bulldogs team-mate and fellow ex-Kangaroos forward Andrew Ryan as the newest members of the coaching staff.
Ryan, who coached South Newcastle for the past two seasons, confirmed he had accepted a coaching, development and welfare role with the Knights last week, but won't officially start until early in January.
Scott Dureau heads up the Knights development department and will coach the Under 19s S G Ball squad. O'Brien's NRL assistants are Willie Peters, Rory Kostjasyn and Eric Smith.
O'Meley. who played 201 top grade games with North Sydney, Northern Eagles, Bulldogs and Sydney Roosters, 15 Tests for the Kangaroos and 10 Origin games for NSW, has been working with the NRL and NSWRL and has coached the Blues' Under 18's and Under 20's squads in recent seasons.
# The Knights are keeping the door open for new recruit Jake Clifford to potentially link with the club next season after confirming he has signed a two-year deal from 2022.
Clifford is seeking a release from the final year of his contract at North Queensland to make the move to Newcastle early but it's unlikely to happen unless the Cowboys find a suitable replacement.
It's understood former Dragons star Gareth Widdop, currently with English club Warrington, has been offered to the Cowboys, a move the Knights are aware of, and if a deal is reached, would open the door for Clifford to depart immediately.
Knights recruitment boss Clint Zammit says Clifford is an outstanding pick-up for the club.
"When the opportunity arose to sign Jake, I thought it was a perfect fit for both parties," Zammit said.
"We believe he will grow alongside the likes of Mitchell Pearce, both as a player and as a person.
"He's a good young talent from a good family and will be a great addition to both our playing group and the Knights for a long time."
# Mason Lino's NRL career is almost certainly over with the former Knights and Warriors playmaker signing a three-year deal with English Super League club Wakefield.
Lino played 17 NRL games over two seasons in Newcastle but just five in 2020.
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