Former Knights juniors now NRL rivals as Magic Round looms

And for a time there, young playmakers Phoenix Crossland and Jock Madden appeared destined to graduate into the senior ranks together at the club and potentially through to the NRL.

So there is a touch of irony in the fact that when Scone Thoroughbred junior Madden makes his NRL debut off the bench on Friday night, Crossland will be there as well. Only this time, it will be as a halves rival.

For the second straight week, Crossland will be starting halfback for the Knights during Magic Round at Suncorp Stadium while Madden will have the No.14 jersey of the Wests Tigers on.

As is often the case with salary caps and competition among clubs for up-and-coming young players, you can't always keep them all. Which is exactly what happened here.

At the end of 2018 after winning the S G Ball player of the year award, representing NSW Under 18's and going on an Australian Schoolboys tour to England, five-eighth Madden opted to cut his ties with the Knights after receiving an opportunity too good to refuse from the Tigers.

He was offered a development contract in a deal that included training with the full-time Tigers squad, an offer the Knights couldn't match.

"We wanted to keep Jock but didn't have a development contract spot for him so he decided to make the move to the Tigers," former Knights recruitment boss Troy Pezet said at the time. "You can't keep everyone unfortunately."

The Knights did keep Crossland though, signing him to a three-year-deal at the end of 2018 that expires at the end of this season.

While the Tigers have taken their time bringing Madden through, Crossland played his eighth top grade game in Newcastle's win over the Canberra Raiders last weekend. It was just his second starting appearance.

Injured Knights halfback Mitchell Pearce, who has been a mentor for Crossland since moving to Newcastle, was impressed with the 20-year-old's effort against the Raiders.

"I thought Phoen did really well to be honest," Pearce said. "He's always been a really good kicker of the footy and it's just about him playing his own game and competing in every play he's involved in and he did that.

"He came up with a try off Connor [Watson] and his support play was really good as well so I reckon he will take a lot of confidence out of how he played into the Tigers game."

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