Knights coach Adam O’Brien is no closer to settling on his halves combination for Round 1, after the three main contenders all played steady hands in Newcastle’s 44-18 victory over the Sharks on Saturday.
Halfback Jackson Hastings made a successful return from a broken leg in the Pre-Season Challenge clash in Gosford, setting up three tries in the first 40 minutes, and is likely to play an even longer stint against Melbourne in Fiji next Saturday.
Tyson Gamble and Jack Cogger played 20 minutes each alongside Hastings in the first half, then partnered each other in the third quarter to give the three playmakers 40 minutes apiece.
“We have another trial to work it out,” O’Brien said.
“We’re fortunate we have very capable spine depth. We’re relishing that – we’ve been on the other side of that.
“We don’t have to pick the team [yet], so I’ll use all the time I need.”
Cogger hits the ground running with Newcastle
As recently as six weeks ago Hastings feared he would never be able to run the same way as he did before he broke his right leg, let alone play in their first trial this season.
The 28-year-old halfback had to have surgery after breaking it again in Newcastle’s nail-biting elimination final win against Canberra, ruling him out of their loss to the Warriors a week later.
“I had a break that never healed from the hip drop (in 2022), then I got hit higher up and cracked it again, so as you can see there it’s pretty much half my leg,” Hastings told reporters after the game.
Not being able to walk for seven weeks was torture on the crutches, then I was pretty much learning just to walk again, so I didn’t really start training with the team until the back end of our camp, then I got chucked back in.
Jackson Hastings
“Probably just before Chrissy, and I was still limping, I thought I was no chance to play this trial.
“I had a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of fights with myself about whether I was going to be right or if it was ever going to heal. There were points there where I was just thinking this is never going to feel the same, but I worked extremely hard.
“I was laying there watching the semi-final, which was heart-breaking, and obviously to break your leg twice is no good, so touch wood this year I can get through unscathed and play the whole year."
Hastings added that he felt comfortable playing alongside both Gamble and Cogger.
Jack Cogger Try
“Obviously I’ve got a connection with Tyson that’s pretty easy. We don’t really have to say much, it’s just fluid regardless,” he said.
“Then when Coggs came on, he did a nice job. He’s pretty interchangeable as well. All three of us can play on the ball, off the ball, so it was good.”
In his first appearance for the Knights since leaving the club at the end of 2018, Cogger looked sharp when he replaced Gamble for the second quarter.
His 40/20 kick sparked the Knights into action after they had trailed 12-0 early on and he then scored a try and combined with Gamble to set one up for wing prospect David Armstrong.
Ponga looking forward to Fiji trial
“You look across the squad, and yes the halves, that’s probably the clear one for me, but across the whole 13 there’s a lot of competition," Cogger said.
“There’s probably a few penciled in but I doubt he [O'Brien] has got that many ready to go.
“I think next week will be real important for everyone across the squad to play well to get that round-one selection."