KNIGHTS captain Daniel Saifiti already regards himself as one of the NRL's dominant middle forwards but believes he can take his game to a new level by starting up front alongside his twin sibling Jacob.
Jacob has earned a rare promotion to Newcastle's run-on side on the strength of his outstanding form this season, with former Test prop David Klemmer named to return from suspension off the bench in Saturday's crucial clash with the Warriors at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Of the 87 games Jacob has played in the NRL, only 21 of them have been in the first 13.
He has regularly been used as an impact player - often as direct replacement for Daniel - but his 147-metre, 44-tackle effort as a starter in last week's loss to South Sydney left Knights coach Adam O'Brien with little option other than to retain him.
Daniel and Jacob both debuted in round one, 2016, but since then they have only occasionally had a chance to pack down in Newcastle's run-on engine room.
Daniel believes that, at 25, Jacob is ready to realise his potential.
"Jacob is a definite starter in the NRL, at his best," Daniel said.
"I think he's proven that this year and when I was injured last year he proved that, too.
"Whether it's here or - hopefully he doesn't leave - at any other club, he's definitely a starting front-rower.
"He's my brother first, so I'm always proud of him."
The "Twin Towers" kicked off their football careers with The Entrance Tigers and Daniel said lining up alongside Jacob brought out the best in both of them.
"Obviously we've been playing together since we were eight years old, so we know each other's game inside out and our combinations really well," he said.
"It's probably something I haven't done in a while, so it was a bit sketchy on the weekend.
"But we'll be looking to get those combinations together this week, to get us on the front foot and rolling."
After scoring his first State of Origin try in last week's 50-6 demolition of Queensland - his sixth game at interstate level - the NSW prop felt he had proven himself in the highest company.
"I think so," he said.
"I've just played my third [Origin] series in a row now and never let the team down at state level.
"Probably before last year I wouldn't have said that, but I think you've got to have that confidence in yourself."
If he maintains that form and NSW win the series, Saifiti would appear a standout contender for selection in the Australian squad to compete in the end-of-season World Cup.
"Playing in the Origin arena is probably the biggest spectacle, and the game you want to play in the most, but the biggest honour is playing for Australia, because that's the best 17 players in the country," he said.
"So to pull that jersey on would be a nice little honour."
On Saturday, Daniel and Jacob will clash head-on with Warriors enforcers Addin Fonua-Blake and Ben Murdoch-Masila.
"It's mine and Jacob's job in the middle to stop that," he said. "It's a big challenge for us, but we're looking forward to it."
