Knights coach Adam O'Brien has given his strongest indication yet that marquee man Kalyn Ponga will move to the halves in 2023.
Newcastle may have only completed their fourth day of pre-season training on Friday but O'Brien revealed Ponga, who has been involved all week despite not being required back for a fortnight, was preparing to make a positional switch from fullback to five-eighth.
"I haven't completely decided on it yet, obviously we'll make a decision around the playing list when it's finalised and that's always evolving," O'Brien said.
"He is not required back yet. We haven't sat down and had complete discussions.
"Yes, we've skirted around it. Is he doing some components of five-eighth in his training? Yes he is.
"Once the list is finalised, we'll sit down and see what team we've got and how it all best fits. But right now we're focused on the physical elements of the program."
Ponga, who missed the last six games of the season this year following a series of repeat head-knocks, turned up to the first day of preseason on Tuesday and has been in "every day" since doing "bits and pieces", O'Brien said.
Following his disrupted first year as captain, the 24-year-old has been able to hit the ground running from day dot after choosing to forgo potential Australian selection for the World Cup.
"He's not on his own," O'Brien said. "There's a fair group there that, given the season we went through, you'd like to think that they are ready to rip in."
Ponga's shift into the No.6 jersey may hinge on who the Knights recruit before next season.
They failed to land Manly outside-back Reuben Garrick, who they pursued to play fullback, and recently let halfback Jake Clifford depart for the Super League.
Former Broncos half Tyson Gamble has also joined the club.
O'Brien described Clifford's exit as a "mutual decision" and wished him well, predicting he would benefit from the move abroad.
"You've seen over the last few years halves going over to England, you look at a guy like Brodie Croft going over there and getting the Man of Steel [Award]," he said.
"It'd be really good for Jake .... to play a long season, a 20-game season and run a team. It's not the end of Jake Clifford's NRL career."
O'Brien was coy on the potential recruitment of Wests Tigers halfback Luke Brooks.
"I'll coach these boys that are out here right now and when the list is finalised, I'll coach that list," he said.
Newcastle ended their disastrous 2022 campaign in 14th, but equal on points with the side above them.
O'Brien said multiple times throughout the back half of the season that he wasn't happy with the club's last preseason, which was interrupted on multiple occasions by COVID outbreaks and associated restrictions.
But with every player bar English gun Dom Young set to start training over the next 10 days, the fourth-year coach is hopeful making an early start on their 2023 preparations can help improve results next season.
"It puts a bit of a full stop on the last season, we can move forward now," he said.
"I'm excited, everyone is energised. The young guys are setting a really good standard early."
Among a group of about 20 slugging it out in the rain on Friday were NRL players Bradman Best, Jack Johns and Simi Sasagi.
The likes of the Saifiti brothers and Mat Croker, who have not yet returned, had earlier completed a separate self-initiated session.
O'Brien said the host of younger players embarking on their first preseason, and those on the fringe of the top squad, had a "huge opportunity" to impress early on.
"We played Oryn Keeley last [season], he thought he was having a game-day experience," O'Brien said of the 19-year-old who made a shock debut in round 23.
"We won't shy away from the fact age is not a factor in it. If they're good enough, then we'll play them.
"We want to see our kids come through our system and play first grade for the Knights.
"I can only speak for the group out there this week and they've set a really strong standard for our older players to fire when they're in."
Players from Newcastle's 2022 Jersey Flegg squad involved in pre-season training include the likes of Oryn Keely, Paul Bryan, Max Bradbury, Riley Jones, Thomas Cant, Kobe Rugless and Chris Vea'ila.
