Phoenix Crossland is aiming to secure his long-term future at the Knights by winning the No.7 jersey next season

With Mitchell Pearce France-bound and the Wests Tigers' reluctant at this stage to release Luke Brooks to replace him, the famous Knights No.7 jersey is up for grabs.

The question is: Does Crossland have what it takes to make it his own in 2022?

Clearly, the Knights are not yet convinced.

Not only was the 21-year-old among the final few off-contract players to sign a top 30 contract for next season, he was only given a 12 month extension.

It's a sure sign coach Adam O'Brien and head of recruitment Clint Zammit are, at the very least, still wavering over Crossland's future at the club.

When you put that to Crossland, he is the first to admit the ball is squarely in his court as far as staying in Newcastle long-term.

"Yeah, I know where I stand 100 percent," he says. "It's all with me now - all in my hands.

"I want to stay in Newcastle and be here at the club long term. I don't want to leave. Above all else, I want that No.7 jersey. So I'm ready to fight for it and do everything I possibly can to be wearing it in round 1."

The big positive for Crossland is he is finally free of a debilitating groin injury that plagued him over the past couple of seasons and largely prevented him from training during the pre-season.

"I'm feeling the fittest I've felt I reckon," he says.

"I obviously haven't been consistently training during pre-season the last two years because of my groin so this is the first real opportunity for me to finish a full pre-season with confidence and try and nail down a spot.

"Touch wood, everything is going good this time so hopefully, it stays that way."

Crossland says Pearce's departure came as a shock.

"When I re-signed, Pearcey was still going to be here next year so my intentions were to have another season under him and learn all I can," he said. "But obviously, he's going overseas for an opportunity he wanted to pursue and I guess the upside for me is it's opened a door for me.

"I just have to put my hand up now and give it all I've got to show the coaches and the other teams that I'm going to be the No.7 for the club.

"Obviously Cluney [Adam Clune] and Cliffo [Jake Clifford] are there as well and they been going great at training. I've leaned on Cluney already as far as talking footy goes and he's been great. He's played a lot of footy and I love having that older person around to learn off and he's been great in that regard.

"He's so fit and so good with the ball so it's really good, healthy competition. But for me right now, I'm just doing all I can to get that jersey."

A huge boost for Crossland has been the arrival of Andrew Johns as a halves consultant with the pair working closely together at training.

"Just having Joey around talking about the game and offering tips - it's unreal for someone like me," he said. "I've been basically only training in the halves and soaking everything up."

For his part, Johns likes what he is seeing. "I've been really impressed with him," Johns said.

Coach O'Brien has also been singing the praises of the young halfback, singling out both he and towering winger Dom Young as two of the club's most impressive trainers since the pre-season kicked off last month.

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