Knights centre Bradman Best has vowed to atone for his "disappointing" 2022 campaign and welcomed pressure on his place in the team from young gun Krystian Mapapalangi.
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One of the high-profile Knights to have returned for pre-season training with the first batch of players last week, Best is keen to give himself every opportunity to find peak form next season.
"I let myself down, the team down and the club and community," he said of his 2022 campaign, which included only 14 appearances and five tries.
"I'm just hoping to build on that here, day by day, and it starts now. I worked in the off-season and have come back fit and ready to go."
Dumped late last season for missing the team bus, Best's campaign ended on the sidelines due to injury.
It summarised what was another injury-plagued year for the 21-year-old, who over the past three seasons has played only 42 of a possible 70 NRL games.
But Best, now injury free, shed five kilograms in his break and said he was "fit, healthy and ready to train".
"I just wanted to get back to being fitter, faster, a bit leaner - hopefully that will help my game," he said.
"I enjoyed my few weeks off and then once the time was ready, I started training and just put my head down and focused ready for a big preseason," Best said.
The centre was intending to represent Wales at the World Cup in England this past month, but similar to some of his Knights teammates, gave up the chance to focus on making a strong start for the 2023 season.
"I chose not to go," he said.
"I could have went but I sat down with a few of the staff here and they advised 'no'.
"For myself, I needed to rip in and get my body right and have a big preseason here for the boys and the club."
When Best was dropped for the clash with Canberra in round 23, he was replaced by young Mapapalangi.
The 19-year-old held his own on debut in the top grade, earning another start the next week.
He would have played a third game had he not chosen to return to Jersey Flegg to help the under-21s side in the finals.
"Maps [was] real good. He's been on the fringe and trained real hard," Best said.
"He deserved that spot and it's good to have him.
"He's going to be pushing us, pushing myself, so it will be good competition."
Knights coach Adam O'Brien is expecting Mapapalangi, who is embarking on his first full preseason, to put pressure on not only Best but more experienced right centre Dane Gagai.
"There's pressure everywhere, and it's a good thing," the coach said after the first week of training.
"Our pathways are working well. There's some quality young kids coming through and that's been the pleasing thing of the last four days - is the standard of our young guys.
A guy like Krystian Mapapalangi will always put pressure on guys like Bradman and Dane Gagai, and that's what we want.
- ADAM O'BRIEN
"A guy like Krystian Mapapalangi will always put pressure on guys like Bradman and Dane Gagai, and that's what we want - a competitive spirit."
Best, who has enjoyed an almost uncontested stint at left centre since his 2019 debut, welcomed the pressure from Mapapalangi, who prefers that side of the field.
"He is pushing for that spot, he wants that spot and so do I," Best, who has played 45 NRL games, said.
"So it's going to be a good battle and a good, tough preseason."
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