TOOHEY'S NEWS: Dom Young's call to leave prompts Newcastle Knights to move fast

Young stunned the club earlier this week with his decision to sign a rich four-year-deal at the Roosters starting from 2024 after his current contract with the Knights expires.

It prompted discussions among Knights and Roosters officials about the possibility of a player swap deal being struck between the two clubs that would free up Young to leave immediately. No deal has materialised yet.

In the market for a strike forward, the Knights' request to swap Young for either of the Roosters' Butcher brothers, Nat or Egan, or rising back-rower Siua Wong were knocked back. Newcastle also rejected Sitili Tupouniua as a swap option because he will miss half the season with an ACL tear.

Not surprisingly, Newcastle shot down any suggestion of the Roosters paying a transfer fee for Young.

MORE ON THIS ISSUE: Dom Young ready to raise level as he ponders NRL future

A deal with the Roosters at some point makes a lot of sense, but it appears unlikely at this stage. It has prompted the Knights to also look at possible swap options at other clubs. Penrith have been sounded out after they lost winger Taylan May to a season-ending knee injury in last week's loss to St Helens.

Knights director of football Peter Parr says no deadline has been spoken about internally at the club when it comes to the future of coach Adam O'Brien this season.

It's been suggested by some critics O'Brien's fate could be decided in the opening six or eight rounds of the season depending on how the team performs, even though he has a contract until the end of 2024.

"He has my full support and I can categorically say no time-frame has been discussed in relation to Adam and his future," Parr told the Toohey's News podcast.

Parr stopped short of guaranteeing O'Brien's job until the end of the season.

Key new forwards Adam Elliott and Jack Hetherington missed both pre-season trials due to injury but are both almost certain to be in the 17 for the Knights' season opener against the Warriors next Friday in Wellington, NZ.

The question is where in the squad will they feature?

Both can play in the middle or on an edge but it appears likely Hetherington will be part of coach Adam O'Brien's prop rotation off the bench alongside Leo Thompson.

If Mann retains the 13 jersey he wore in both trials, it would leave Elliott potentially grabbing the left edge spot, relegating Fitzgibbon to the bench.

Phoenix Crossland would then retain his place as the bench utility.

Krystian Mapapalangi and Dylan Lucas will fight it out for Dane Gagai's right-centre spot if he is forced out with a hamstring strain.

Young prop Max Bradbury was not at the top of the list of players Cronulla wanted as compensation for releasing fullback Lachie Miller to the Knights.

There were apparently at least three players ahead of Bradbury in the pecking order, which is why the process dragged on for months.

The Knights flatly rejected the Sharks initial request to swap Miller for rising centre Krystian Mapapalangi.

Their next target was boom young lock Myles Martin, the club's SG Ball captain, who is on an NRL development contract this season.

Martin was given the go-ahead by the Knights to meet with Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon in Sydney, but he knocked Cronulla back to remain in Newcastle.

The Sharks then suggested SG Ball fullback Fletcher Sharpe but were told no.

That left Aussie schoolboy centre Ethan Ferguson and Bradbury as possibilities. Bradbury was told it was his call to make after the Sharks requested to meet with the NSW under-19s prop. He opted to accept Cronulla's offer, finally opening the door for the Miller move.

Time will tell if it's a decision the Knights live to regret.

Just how much is prop David Klemmer's move to the Wests Tigers costing the Knights this season?

The Knights are paying a portion of Klem's $850,000 contract for him to play for the Tigers with one media report several weeks ago suggesting Newcastle was forking out a whopping $400,000.

Knights director of football Peter Parr refused to comment on the Klemmer deal when we broached the subject with him during this week's Toohey's News podcast interview. But sources say the actual figure is closer to the $200,000 mark when his swap deal with halfback Jackson Hastings is taken into consideration.

The career of outstanding young Knights prop Paul Bryan has suffered a setback with the junior Queensland Origin star likely to miss the entire season through injury.

The Mackay junior linked with the Knights last year and was the club's SG Ball Player of the Year. He played for the Maroons under-19s against NSW and had been earmarked as a player capable of making his NRL debut at some stage this year.

But a ruptured ACL early in the pre-season has cruelled his chances. While there is a chance he could return before the year is out, it seems unlikely the club will risk him.