Luke Keary has thrown his support behind Sandon Smith as the Newcastle Knights long-term answer at halfback, declaring his former Sydney Roosters teammate the “only option” to partner marquee signing Dylan Brown in 2026.
The Knights have spent the past few seasons searching for stability in the halves, cycling through combinations as their attack stalled.
With Jack Cogger gone and uncertainty surrounding Fletcher Sharpe's best position, Smith and Brown are emerging as the clearest pairing for new coach Justin Holbrook as he looks to rebuild Newcastle's spine.
Speaking on the Kayo Sports NRL podcast, Keary said Smith was the standout choice to wear the No.7 jersey, particularly with Brown best utilised as a running five-eighth.
“He (Smith) will be their seven,” Keary said.
“You look through their roster and, in my eyes, he's the only option.”
Smith spent the bulk of 2025 at five-eighth for the Roosters but has played extensively at halfback throughout his career, while Brown is coming off a dominant Pacific Championships campaign with New Zealand, starring alongside veteran organiser Kieran Foran.
Keary believes that experience highlighted exactly why Brown should not be burdened with the responsibility of running a side.
“We saw Dylan Brown with Kieran (Foran) in the Pacific Champs, and he's one of the best sixes in the comp,” Keary said.
“Sandon is an out-and-out seven, and I think it's perfect for them.”
The former premiership-winning playmaker added that Smith's presence would allow Brown to focus on his strengths, rather than carrying the weight that comes with wearing the No.7 jersey.
“He now gets to play beside a guy on more than $10 million who everyone's going to be talking about,” Keary said.
“He can just go and do his job.
“He'll get the team around, he likes to play up in front of shape, he'll have his hands on the ball and he'll kick them into really good spots.”
There had been early calls for Brown to shift into halfback following his record-breaking move from the Parramatta Eels, but Keary pushed back on the idea, pointing to Brown's struggles when forced into the role during Mitchell Moses' injury absences.
“Every time (Moses got hurt) Dylan had to move to seven,” Keary said.
“It's an uncomfortable feeling for a natural five-eighth.
“You lose your eyes a bit and you end up controlling the team instead of playing your game.”
Keary believes Holbrook's biggest challenge now is finding the right spot for Fletcher Sharpe, who impressed in the halves last season before suffering a season-ending injury, but may need to shift wider to accommodate Smith and Brown.
“The only question is the Fletcher Sharpe situation and where he plays,” Keary said.
“The talent is there and he has to play.
”It's just where Justin fits him into this puzzle.”
Holbrook has a lot of work to do with the makeup of this team, but many of the headaches will be blessings in disguise for this star-studded roster.
