KNIGHTS director of football Peter Parr remains confident Newcastle's squad has enough cover at hooker to make up for the departure of local product Chris Randall.
Parr says the Knights were initially "reluctant" to let go of Randall, who started 17 times for injured No.9 Jayden Brailey last season, but a trade with Gold Coast winger Greg Marzhew eventually helped soften the blow.
Brailey will again be the first-choice rake for Newcastle in 2023 while utilities Phoenix Crossland and Kurt Mann have also filled the dummy-half role previously.
Unheralded Kiwi train-and-trialist Temple Kalepo is now in the mix and pathway player Riley Jones potentially shapes as a long-term option.
"Jayden's our established hooker and he's of the highest quality," Parr told the Newcastle Herald on Wednesday.
"We'll come up with some contingencies over the off-season, we'll continue to develop our younger players who play that position and see who puts their best foot forward coming into the season.
"We thought we were more exposed in the outside backs than we were exposed at hooker. So we decided to limit our exposure in the outside backs, given Chris' desire to leave.
"We were happy to have Chris here but understood his situation and understood the reasoning behind it, and in the end we were able to get an outcome that was good for everyone."
The Randall-Marzhew swap, effective immediately, was confirmed by both clubs on Wednesday.
Newcastle granted Randall a release from the final year of his contract to join the Titans while also signing Marzhew on a three-season deal.
Parr admits feeling "hesitant and reluctant at first" when approached by former Lakes hooker Randall, who played 29 NRL games for the Knights including a memorable 71-tackle debut against the Panthers in 2020.
Marzhew, who debuted last year, has 15 tries from 25 NRL appearances and adds a "point of difference" to Newcastle's outside backs following the loss of Edrick Lee to new outfit the Recliffe Dolphins.
"He [Marzhew] made more tackle busts than any other winger in the comp during 2022 so he brings that type of strength and power to the team," Parr said.
"And from the stats I've seen James Tedesco is the only other player who breaks more tackles than him on average.
"That's a fairly handy commodity to have coming out of trouble and close to the line.
"He's a powerful athlete and we believe that's a point of difference for us.
"We've got some skilful backs and Dom Young, who makes some very good post-contact metres, but we think Greg is a different type of player to the ones we currently have."
Outside backs on Newcastle's roster include: Young, Dane Gagai, Bradman Best, Enari Tuala, Hymel Hunt, Krystian Mapapalangi and Dylan Lucas.
Randall, who took up a multi-year deal, expressed a desire to play more regular first grade and joins Roosters recruit Sam Verrills on the Gold Coast.
This marks the second player swap in quick succession for the Knights, who recently traded prop David Klemmer for Wests Tigers pivot Jackson Hastings.
"It's unusual for two to happen in such a short space of time, but I think it's something the game is embracing more," Parr said.
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