Veteran Parramatta centre Michael Jennings and St George Illawarra utility Kurt Mann are the latest players being linked to a possible move to the Newcastle Knights.
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Knights coach Nathan Brown is understood to have met with either the players directly or their managers within the past week with both believed to be open to making the move north.
And we have also been told that Brisbane winger Corey Oates, who is yet to re-sign with Brisbane, could be another on the radar as well.
The sticking point with Jennings and Mann is they are under contract to their respective clubs for another season but there is a strong chance both could be released.
The Eels are desperate to off-load players to create some cap space and Jennings is said to be on around $800,000 next season. Negotiations with the Knights would only get serious if Parramatta was willing to chip in around half that figure.
The Knights have also shown some interest in another Eels outside back, Bevan French.
The link to Mann, who played in the juniors for the Knights before leaving for Melbourne and then the Dragons, is even more intriguing.
The suggestion is Brown is seriously considering turning the tough utility, who has played in virtually every position in the backline over the past few seasons, into a hooker if he returns to Newcastle.
If true and he signs, that could end negotiations the Sharks’ James Segeyaro.
We tried to get hold of Brown yesterday but were told he was holed up in meetings all day with his football department staff at Port Stephens and could not be reached.
Fitzy in talks
The Knights are in negotiations to extend the contract of backrower Lachlan Fitzgibbon beyond the end of next season.
Fitzgibbon, one of the game’s most improved players, still has a year to run on his current deal but not surprisingly, the club is hoping to take him out of the shop window and tie him up for a longer period of time before rival clubs begin sniffing around.
The backrower can start fielding offers from rivals for the 2020 season next month so may be tempted to bide his time just to see what his value is on the open market.
Byron Bay boys
Our spies tell us Knights stars and house mates Kalyn Ponga and Connor Watson, who will swap backline positions in 2019, have been holidaying in Byron Bay this week and were seen out partying on Thursday night with Sydney Roosters grandfinal star and new Kangaroos centre Latrell Mitchell.
Alex’s arrival
Best wishes and a big shout out to Alex McKinnon and his wife Teigan with their first baby due any day now.
Lees on track
What a whirlwind few weeks it has been for premier Newcastle trainer Kris Lees.
Less than a month ago, he did not have a runner in next Saturday’s $13 million The Everest at Randwick but will now saddle up a quarter of the 12-horse field with In Her Time, Graff and Le Romain to run in the big race. All of Newcastle will be riding them home.
Johns to Bunnies
Utility Jack Johns is poised to sign with the South Sydney Rabbitohs next season after the Knights decided not to take up an option in his contract for 2019.
Like several Knights players, Matty Johns’ eldest son was struck down by the injury curse which ultimately left him with precious little time to impress in the senior grade and earn another contract.
The Bunnies could also sign prop JJ Felise, who is unwanted by the Knights after joining the club mid-season and making a couple of cameo appearances off the bench in the top grade.
Brent Naden’s stint with the Knights is also over after one season at the club. The former Penrith Under 20’s captain, who joined the Knights this year after a stint at the Canberra Raiders, is heading back to the Panthers.
NSW Cup winger Tom Hughes is also without a fulltime contract following the Knights decision to cut him.
Dimi’s good Samaritan deed
Dimi Petratos went to the World Cup with the Socceroos, is arguably the best Australian player in the A-League and has just signed a lucrative new three year contract with the Newcastle Jets.
And he also has a heart of gold.
During the week, Petratos was stopped in Beaumont Street in Hamilton by a woman asking him for money.
Rather than hand over a few token coins, the Jets star told the woman he was going into the supermarket and asked what she wanted.
He returned soon after with a bag full of groceries for her.
No-one would have been the wiser about his good Samaritan act had it not been for a local Jets fan, who happened to witness their exchange and jumped on Twitter to let Herald colleague Jimmy Gardiner know what had happened.
Jets coach Ernie Merrick wasn’t surprised.
“Dimi is so modest. I asked him if the thing on Twitter about him buying a bag of groceries for a lady was true?” Merrick told Gardiner.
“He said: ‘yeah, I was just told about it being on Twitter. I didn’t realise someone had seen me’.
“That is typical of Dimi. He would do something like that and not expect anyone to notice or expect any accolades.
“He is just straight down the line. A really nice guy. The whole family are like that. For a 26 year old he is a very mature person.
“He was almost embarrassed that someone had noticed him do the good deed."
Little wonder he is held in such high esteem by the club and the city.
Thurston tour
KOFM rugby league caller Frank Barrett will get up close and personal with retiring great Johnathan Thurston over the next few months when the now ex-Cowboys skipper goes on an Australia-wide tour starting later this month.
Thurston will talk about his life and career and promote his new book at more than 20 shows over the next three months, kicking off in Bundaberg in Queensland on October 18. Barrett has been entrusted with the MC duties at all of the shows.
Barrett will also be switching codes during the league off-season after landing the ground announcers gig for all Newcastle Jets games at McDonald Jones Stadium.
