ONE of the main attractions for Kurt Mann when he left St George Illawarra to join the Newcastle Knights was the prospect of increased game time.
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After just two trials, the 26-year-old utility is well on his way to realising that objective.
In Saturday's 30-6 loss to Cronulla at Maitland, Mann spent the entire 80 minutes on the pitch and underlined his reputation as a Kurt Gidley-style Mr Fixit. After starting on the wing, he switched to dummy-half for a stint and finished up in the centres.
"It was good to get out there and play the whole game, a good chance to blow the cobwebs out," he told the Newcastle Herald.
"I played three different positions, and I was hanging in there a little bit, but it was good to get through it.
"I spent about 50 minutes on the wing, then 25 or so at hooker and the last little bit at centre."
Mann, who handled every backline role and lock during his 88-game NRL career with the Dragons and Melbourne, has spent most of the pre-season training as hooker.
He was expected to tag-team with starting No.9 Danny Levi but was more than willing to be the wildcard up coach Nathan Brown's sleeve.
"I sort of expect that can happen, given that I can play different positions," he said.
"Browny has spoken to me about it and I know there will be times when I have to fill in here or there. Skiddsy [Shaun Kenny-Dowall] rolled his ankle at training, so we needed a winger, and I'm happy to do that for the team."
He admitted his transition to dummy-half was "still a work in progress" but was enjoying the challenge.
"As long as I keep chipping away at that and getting some minutes there, hopefully I keep improving," he said.
Brown described Mann's contribution against the Sharks as "a real highlight" on a day when many of his teammates were below their best.
Mann was eagerly awaiting the chance to make his NRL debut for the Knights, at home to Cronulla on Friday week, an occasion that in different circumstances may have happened years ago.
Newcastle signed the Queenslander to a scholarship more than a decade ago, and in 2012 he was starring in their under-20s when Melbourne Storm swooped with an offer he decided was too good to refuse.
Seven years down the track, he is primed for his second top-grade game at McDonald Jones Stadium - and first with the crowd on his side.
"I can't wait for it," he said. "It's going to be awesome.
"As a kid, this was sort of like my home club. I signed here when I was 15, for four years, and I did all the training camps until I moved here when I was 17.
"I got my opportunity to play under-20s here, and I used to really look up to those boys playing first grade, like Kurt Gidley and Danny Buderus.
"Now I get that opportunity as well."
