Newcastle will roll out their seventh set of halves this season after Anthony Milford was left out for Sunday's clash with Cronulla at McDonald Jones Stadium.
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The Dolphins-bound five-eighth, who suffered a rib injury in Newcastle's 36-26 loss to the Gold Coast, was one of three outgoing Knights players who weren't named on Tuesday for the side's final game of the year.
Mitch Barnett, who is joining the Warriors next season, has failed to recover from recent thumb surgery, while veteran forward Sauaso Sue made his final appearance before moving to the Super League against the Titans.
Knights coach Adam O'Brien will start Phoenix Crossland in the halves alongside Adam Clune.
The duo will form the side's seventh halves combination in a season where the club has lacked consistency in the key play-making roles and struggled following the departure of veteran halfback Mitchell Pearce.
Clune, recruited as a back-up half before Pearce left, has started 17 of 23 games at halfback this year but played eight alongside Milford, eight with Jake Clifford and one with Tex Hoy.
The 27-year-old said positional inconsistencies had impacted the 2022 campaign, pointing to a lack of familiarity not just in the halves, but in other positions like back-row and fullback.
"It's a factor," he said.
"But that's definitely no excuse.
"We've got a squad for a reason and you train with all those guys.
"To be one of the top-eight or top-four teams, you've got to have good depth and I think we have that - we just haven't been able to put it on the field consistently enough.
"We'd like to go injury free, but it's a bit unrealistic.
"Less injuries and more continuity would definitely be more beneficial, but that's the nature of rugby league.
"People get injured every week and that's no different for any other team. We've just got to adapt and overcome those situations with whoever is on the field."
Clune and Crossland have spent time together this season, but are yet to start a game in the halves.
Clune was confident his close friendship with Crossland would allow them to make a fist of it on Sunday.
"It's disappointing to see Anthony get injured, you never want to see your teammates injured, but I've got a great relationship with Phoenix and played enough footy with him to know we can get the job done," he said.
Crossland, one of only a handful of Newcastle players yet to lock in a deal for next season, is understood to be close to re-signing but has had interest from other NRL clubs.
The 22-year-old playmaker, who has been with the club since his early teens, is desperate to stay in Newcastle and help turn the side's fortunes around.
But he admitted on Tuesday that if there was an opportunity to spend more time in the halves at another club he would have to consider a move.
"It's obviously a possibility, but I really love the Knights," he said.
"They're my hometown [club], my best mates are here, my family is from Newcastle.
"It's in my blood Newcastle, so I really would hate to leave. But if an opportunity pops up, I've got to think about it.
"But I'm really hopeful I can stay."
Crossland has become more of a utility this season, coming off the bench in all but two of the 18 games he has played.
The Erina Eagles junior said he had gained a better appreciation of the sport filling various positions off the bench and hopes his utility value can now help his potential retention.
"It would be nice to lock down one position, but what that is I don't really know," he said.
"I'm only 22, so being a utility and learning the game of football as a whole, whereas if I was locked in the one position I might not be able to respect the game as much.
"I played in the forwards this year and you understand why they spray the halves when they kick the ball dead because it's really hard work getting back to the 30 [metre line] for a tap.
"Little stuff like that it just makes you respect the game a lot more and how hard it really is.
"Every position is a different challenge and I've just really enjoyed learning about that."
The 34-game utility ruled out a move to the Super League like teammate Tex Hoy.
"Texy is going over for his own reasons, but the position I'm in I don't really want to go over there," he said.
"I want to try and prove myself here a bit more and have a bit more of a crack here before I even start thinking about going overseas."
Newcastle's halves in 2022
Clune/Clifford - 8 games together
Clune/Milford - 8
Clifford/Milford - 4
Clune/Hoy - 1
Crossland/Clifford - 1
Crossland/Hoy - 1
