NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 10: Newcastle Knights coach Nathan Brown during a Newcastle Knights NRL pre-season training session at Hunter Stadium on February 10, 2016 in Newcastle, Australia. (Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)

 

Just a few years removed from a preliminary final under Wayne Bennett, and most Knights fans like to blame both the super coach and Nathan Tinkler for abandoning them and leaving them to wallow in this years’ failings.

Without playing the blame game, it does show exactly how quickly success can turn itself on its’ head, with the Novocastrians going from rooster to feather duster in under three years.

However, in an even shorter period of time – less than two years – the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks have not only gone through a battle with ASADA but have shot from the bottom of the table all the way to the top.

At the end of the 2014 season, the hapless Sharks sat in 16th out of 16, with 5 wins and 19 losses – 3 losses worse than 15th placed Canberra, who are also now at the top the table.

No doubt it’s far harder to rise up the table than to catapult down it, but still, the Sharks and Raiders have managed their impressive turnarounds quicker than Newcastle have managed to explode.

Granted, many will have success for the Knights far farther off than this article makes out, but going from a failing football club to a successful one should not be viewed in its’ entirety, for the illusion of it being so far in the distance would seem true.

NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 10: Newcastle Knights coach Nathan Brown during a Newcastle Knights NRL pre-season training session at Hunter Stadium on February 10, 2016 in Newcastle, Australia. (Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)
NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 10: Newcastle Knights coach Nathan Brown during a Newcastle Knights NRL pre-season training session at Hunter Stadium on February 10, 2016 in Newcastle, Australia. (Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)

Nay, CEO of Football Operations Matthew Gidley, head coach Nathan Brown along with the clubs’ board should make like a squirrel storing up nuts for the winter, by breaking their problems down into small solvable pieces.

As said by former college and NFL head coach Lou Holtz “you’re never as good or as bad as they say you are”.

Short of writing an analytical essay on the topic, which would be very possible, let’s address the most malleable problem on Newcastle's’ list – their playing group.

Currently, no one has signed up to join the Knights for 2017. Not entirely surprising. Departing the club will be Robbie Rochow and retiring will be long time servants James McManus and Jeremy Smith.

Fortunately, no other players have yet signed elsewhere.

NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 14: Jarrod Mullen of the Knights is tackled by Nathan Cleary of the Panthers during the round 23 NRL match between the Newcastle Knights and the Penrith Panthers at Hunter Stadium on August 14, 2016 in Newcastle, Australia. (Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)
NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 14: Jarrod Mullen of the Knights is tackled by Nathan Cleary of the Panthers during the round 23 NRL match between the Newcastle Knights and the Penrith Panthers at Hunter Stadium on August 14, 2016 in Newcastle, Australia. (Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)

With that, a projection of a match day 17 for Newcastle is still not overly encouraging. The backs shape up alright, if Dane Gagai and Jarrod Mullen can keep themselves on the park, but the forward pack is undoubtedly weak.

Even assuming the positive development of players such as the Saifiti brothers, Pauli Pauli and Mitchell Barnett, it is still thin on NRL talent.

With tempting and likely expensive names such as Matt Gillett still without a club for next year, this is where the Knights cannot afford to get ahead of themselves.

Newcastle is still not even close to being a destination club, and there would be no point in even attempting to allow a player in their prime like Gillett chew up a large amount of their cap space on a long-term deal like they did last year with Trent Hodkinson.

The Knights must attempt to, where possible, get as much value for their money as they possibly can, of which there is plenty for the forward pack off contract next year.

Players such as Herman Ese’ese, David Fifita and Josh Starling all represent cheap, NRL level talent that would serve to “beef up” their forward pack if nothing else.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 26: Elijah Taylor of the Tigers offloads during the round 16 NRL match between the Melbourne Storm and Wests Tigers at AAMI Park on June 26, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Prezioso/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 26: Elijah Taylor of the Tigers offloads during the round 16 NRL match between the Melbourne Storm and Wests Tigers at AAMI Park on June 26, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Prezioso/Getty Images)

A step up in class and players such as Sione Lousi, Elijah Taylor and Tony Williams may make themselves available for a reasonable asking price.

Newcastle also has a hole at hooker, and whilst both Tyler Randell and Danny Levi have looked good at times, testing the market at this position would not be a bad idea.

At this area of the park, Isaac de Gois, Jayden Hodges or Rory Kostjaysn might be available on the cheap, which would serve to lay the Knights over until they fall in love with the rake of their dreams.

Depending on the market, James Segeyaro could be an option too, but most intelligent clubs will have him pinned as a player that will be almost certainly overpaid for this off-season, which Newcastle would be wise to avoid.

Money is like quicksand. Instances in which clubs attempt to spend their way out of a problem usually only serve to drag them in deeper. If you don’t believe me, Google the Parramatta Eels.

Sooner or later, the mining money aplenty in the Hunter will bring out an owner ready to take on the Knights, and as all new owners like to make a splash, the temptation will be to burn some financial rubber.

I strongly implore Newcastle against this. Premierships (legitimate ones) are not bought, they’re grown, they’re developed and they’re invested in smartly, not quickly or with gargantuan amounts of money.

If you commit to the long road of a proper rebuild, where success may seem so far off in the distance, you may be lucky enough that someone will pick you up and get you there faster.

Both the men from the shire and the Green Machine followed this rule, and this year will feature heavily in Septembers’ proceedings.

As unlikely as it looks now, in a few years time, that could once again be the Newcastle Knights.

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