Chris Randall knows opportunities like this don't come around too often.
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Largely a replacement player for the Knights the past two years, the door to becoming an NRL regular opened when hooker Jayden Brailey ruptured his Achilles at training in January.
With the established rake expected to be out for much of this year, 26-year-old Randall, who almost abandoned his NRL dream after missing out on a top-30 contract last season, has the chance to cement his place in first-grade.
And like a host of other Knights players, that begins tonight in the side's first trial against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
"I can't wait to get out there on Monday and put my best foot forward and show the team that I can step in for 'Brailz' and have them be confident in what I can do for the season," Randall said.
"We've been training really well getting those combinations, especially in attack. I'm sure some things won't go to plan being the first trial but it is a good chance to lock in those combinations."
The Knights are starting their new-look spine of Randall, halves pairing Jake Clifford and Adam Clune, and fullback Kalyn Ponga.
The quartet are all expected to play about 40 minutes at McDonald Jones Stadium, as are the majority of the Knights' regular first-graders.
While the game is much about blowing out the cobwebs, Randall has high hopes of playing each and every minute this season.
"I'd like to be an 80-minute hooker," Randall, who has played 12 NRL games to date, said.
"I've felt like I've been ready to be a full-time NRL player for a while now so it's good to get a chance to play some consistent footy, hopefully, which is probably what I've been lacking the last two years with COVID and a couple of injuries."
Knights coach Adam O'Brien, whose assistant Rory Kostjasyn is coaching the side on Monday as part of a COVID contingency, has no qualms about Randall getting the job done this season.
"In his debut game he made 71 tackles, he is the fittest guy in our club, has played in semi-finals, he is tough as nails, he has got a good skill set, a really nice pass ... he ticks a fair few boxes in my book," O'Brien said.
The Knights have not played at home since July, and the NRL and reserve-grade trials will be the first competitive matches some players have taken part in for a similar period.
The club will have about 50 players involved across the two games. Only a few players from the top 30 NRL roster aren't taking part.
"We've got a fairly strong side. Obviously we're not risking anyone who has any niggles," Kostjasyn said.
"It's important for the halves pairing to have a crack and build some minutes and combinations.
"Randall, he is not new to the club, but he has played different minutes and been in and out of the side over the last couple of years.
"So it's an opportunity for the spine to implement some of the things that we've been working so hard on.
"But also the opportunity to have our forward pack build some combinations around that spine."
British talent Dom Young who has impressed in the pre-season has earned a start on the wing, while young gun Jirah Momoisea will begin the game in the back-row.
Kurt Mann will also start at lock, a position he is likely to feature in this season as the club looks to fill the gap left by Connor Watson who has gone to the Sydney Roosters.
"We've got some different players in different positions to what we had last year, so we're looking for those guys to build some combinations," Kostjasyn said.
"Everyone's minutes will be capped but it's a chance for us to put into practice what we've been working hard on in the pre-season."
Young and Momoisea are two of many players who haven't played much footy because of the cancellation of lower-grade competitions in recent seasons.
Players who weren't in the NRL side in the back half of last year were unable to get a game, while those who only usually play reserve-grade weren't even able to drop back to the Newcastle Rugby League either as it too was abandoned.
Knights assistant Rory Kostjasyn said having those competitions back up and running this year would be a huge boost for the club.
"We're able to get those guys playing footy and working on the things that they need to ... or putting their best foot forward to earn selection," Kostjasyn said.
The Bulldogs trial is open to the public but the crowd is capped at 10,000. The NRL trial kicks off at 7pm and is being televised live by Fox Sports. The Knights also play the Storm away on Sunday.
KNIGHTS NRL TRIAL SIDE
1. Kalyn Ponga
2. Enari Tuala
3. Dane Gagai
4. Bradman Best
5. Dom Young
6. Jake Clifford
7. Adam Clune
8. David Klemmer
9. Chris Randall
10. Daniel Saifiti
11. Tyson Frizell
12. Jirah Momoisea
13. Kurt Mann
14. Phoenix Crossland
15. Jacob Saifiti
16. Lachlan Fitzgibbon
17. Hymel Hunt
18. Dylan Lucas
19. Matt Croker
20. McKenzie Baker
21. Bailey Hodgson
22. Brayden Musgrove
23. Dylan Phythian
24. Chris Vea'lia
25. Koby Rugless
26. Jaron Purcell
27. Liam Wilkinson
28. Cooper Jenkins
29. Tim Johannsson
30. Ben Talty
31. Honeti Tuha
32. Tex Hoy
33. Leo Thompson
