NEWCASTLE coach Adam O'Brien says his repeat changes to the halves are as much about trialing new combinations early in the season as they are about individual performances.
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The Knights are set to deploy their third halves-pairing in four games when they host St George Illawarra Dragons at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night.
Jackson Hastings has been recalled to the NRL side, which he was dropped from after round two, to play halfback alongside Jack Cogger at five-eighth.
Cogger came in for Hastings last month and played halfback for the past two games with five-eighth Tyson Gamble, who played the first four matches but was dumped this week.
It means after five rounds, O'Brien will have tried all three potential halves combinations with Hastings, Cogger and Gamble.
O'Brien said there were "a number of reasons" why he had axed Gamble in favour of Hastings this week.
"First and foremost, I asked Jackson to go back and work on a couple of things in his game," he said.
"The two weeks of training, he actually really applied himself to those things. That was a reason.
"I want to have a look at him and Jack [Cogger] playing in a game together.
"We've had some training runs, obviously, over the summer when they've been together but I think the conditions, short turnaround - I just feel like it is the right thing to do ... both of them have a really solid kicking game, so I think that will help put us in good stead.
"Bottom line is, I just want to have a look at them and Jackson has gone about his work really well."
Gamble and Hastings were the halves in most games last year after Kalyn Ponga ditched his switch to five-eighth and returned to fullback in round 13.
Cogger has joined the club on a three-year deal and battled with Hastings and Gamble to win a starting spot.
He played the first two games off the bench, but that was prior to hooker Jayden Brailey's return from injury.
Asked if he was still unsure of his best halves combination and if his changes early in the campaign were more about working that out, rather than an individual's form, O'Brien said it was a "little bit of both".
"We've been pretty fortunate we've got three capable guys there, it's just another opportunity for me to have a look at it," he said.
"We're round five, there's still 20 games to go.
"It's a long season."
Similar to Hastings three weeks ago, O'Brien said Gamble had been disappointed to lose his spot.
"Naturally ... these guys want to play first grade, and that's what I love about them," he said.
"I don't want them to be doing cartwheels out of my office when I tell them.
"As long as I'm honest with the reasoning, and give them a clear direction on what I want them to work on. Tyson is a clubman, he will get on with the job."
O'Brien added: "He already has. He trained well after the news yesterday.
I expect him to go out and do what Tyson does best, and that's go out and compete."
