Is chief playmaker Mitchell Pearce in decline?

He is the skipper and the Knights most influential player. But after 14 seasons and almost 300 NRL games, there were signs last season that influence may be starting to wane.

There was no lack of effort. If anything he tried too hard, but there is no question he was a long way short of his best in a number of games.

Just how big a factor was the constant chopping and changing of the hookers and five-eighths due to injury and the fact he played 18 games without a break?

The return of Blake Green from injury could be key to Pearce's fortunes.

Will David Klemmer's Origin snub be a blessing in disguise?

Few thought Klemmer deserved to be dumped from the Blues' Origin side. He didn't even make Freddy Fittler's 27-man squad.

There was talk Klemmer's attitude during the 2019 series and not club form was behind the snub.

Whatever the reason, Knights fans will be desperately hoping Klemmer is still stewing about it when the season kicks off in March.

One definite plus is it allowed him to have two separate surgeries he would not have had done otherwise.

Can the Saifiti brothers go to another level?

Both Daniel and Jacob took big strides forward last season but the question is, can they climb a rung or two higher again in 2021?

If the answer is yes, the Knights could be well on the way to a top four finish.

Connor Watson or Kurt Mann?

Can the club continue to carry two quality utility players beyond next season when they both come off contract? We highly doubt it so the best performer of the two in 2021 is likely to win out.

Who partners Bradman Best in the centres?

Enari Tuala and Gehamat Shibasaki started there last season but so impressive has Starford To'a been in the pre-season, the word is coach Adam O'Brien is going to have a find a place for him on the wing.

Tuala is flying as well and maybe Hymel Hunt will get an early chance to nail the position he wants.

Will Tex Hoy and Phoenix Crossland take that next step and secure their futures at the club?

The potential is there but with no footy played underneath NRL level last season due to COVID, it hasn't helped their development.

Hoy will get an early chance at fullback with Kalyn Ponga sidelined but Crossland, who's had off-season groin surgery, will have to wait in the wings. Both are off contract at season's end.

Two positions remain on the Knights 30-man roster for next season with the door seemingly closed on young North Queensland playmaker Jake Clifford gaining a release from the Cowboys and filling one of them.

We're hearing that roster position will be kept open just in case right up until June 30 with spot number 29, at the lower end of the pay scale, to be filled in the New Year.

Word is young centre Brayden Musgrove, who played with the Cessnock Goannas last season and was previously at the Knights in the juniors before being cut, is one player being seriously looked at for the spot.

Musgrove has been on a train-and-trial deal up until Christmas but is said to have impressed the people who matter at the club. We won't be surprised if he secures a contract.

A posse of players and staff are heading north to Byron Bay for the wedding of Mitchell Pearce and his fiance Kristin Scott on December 29. Big David Klemmer won't be among them but he has a pretty fair excuse for not making the trip.

The Knights prop has a rather more pressing personal engagement with wife Chloe due to give birth to the couple's fourth child [their first girl] on Christmas day.

Here's hoping the worrying COVID cluster in Sydney does not disrupt Pearce's wedding with plenty of Sydney guests, including former Roosters team-mates, due to attend. Presumably, coach Adam O'Brien will have the job of keeping his players away from any trouble.

Newcastle may have to wait to see Tim Tszyu step into the ring in this city if his next fight early in 2021 is for a world title as seems likely.

In a real mis-match, Tszyu made short work of Kiwi challenger Bowyn Morgan in Sydney on Wednesday night with a 114 second KO to continue his unbeaten record with the prospect of fighting for the WBO super welterweight title now loaming.

Current champion Patrick Teixeira is due to fight Argentinian Brian Castano in California in the New Year but could be striped of the title as he is stuck in Brazil because of COVID.

If that was to occur, Castano would then fight Tszyu for the vacant belt, most likely in Australia. If the Teixeira-Castano fight goes ahead, Tszyu would meet the winner later in 2021.

Tszyu's promoter Matt Rose insists he will fight in Newcastle at some stage next year but could not commit to when.

"It all hinges on what happens next with the world title shot," Rose said. "If Tim gets it straight away, I'm not ruling out bringing it to Newcastle but the push will obviously be for it to be in Sydney if we hold it in NSW.

"The stadium in Newcastle would be a great venue though and maybe the council up there can get involved with the State government and potentially make it happen. Like I've told you before, Tim will definitely fight up there, it's a matter of when.

"If the world title shot doesn't happen straight away, we may take his next fight there or we could take a world title defence up there down the track. We'll see.

"Things happen very quickly in this game. We definitely should know a lot more in early January."

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