VETERAN centre Dane Gagai says this year's Newcastle Knights remind him of the 2013 team who progressed to within one game of the grand final.
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Gagai, the 31-year-old Queensland and Kangaroos representative, has returned to Newcastle after spending four seasons and 92 games with South Sydney.
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He marked his second coming with a dynamic display in the Knights' season-opening 20-6 triumph against Sydney Roosters last weekend, scoring one try, throwing the final pass for another and making a game-high 200 metres.
Having left Newcastle when they were at their lowest ebb, after collecting three straight wooden spoons between 2015 and 2017, Gagai said the club is now in a far stronger position, on and off the field.
He compared Newcastle's current squad to their 2013 outfit, who beat Canterbury and Melbourne in sudden-death play-offs before being eliminated 40-14 by eventual premiers Sydney Roosters in the preliminary final.
"I think we've got a lot of potential," Gagai told the Newcastle Herald.
"If you look at our team, we've got guys here who have represented at the highest level.
"David Klemmer and Tyson Frizell have represented NSW and Australia, Daniel Saifiti and Kalyn Ponga have played Origin.
"Comparing it to that [2013] team, we've got a similar blend of youth and experience.
"Back then when we went on that run in the finals, I was one of the young boys and we had senior players like Danny Buderus, Willie Mason, Jeremy Smith ...
"I think this team has a good mix like that, too.
"We've got the older guys who have been around for a while, as well as the young, hungry guys coming through, who are only going to get better as time goes on."
Gagai said he kept a close eye on Newcastle during his stint with Souths.
"Obviously I left a number of years ago, and since then the boys have done a fantastic job," he said.
"They've won a few games and played in some finals. We certainly we weren't winning too many back in the day, but it it wasn't through lack of effort.
"The boys have come such a long way since then, and I'm just so privileged to be coming into a team with so much potential.
"I'm just here to contribute as best I can and certainly it's good to start with a win like that [against the Roosters]."
"It was important to prove to ourselves - not so much anybody else - that we're a good football team."
After Souths' loss to Penrith in last year's grand final, a premiership remains the only honour to elude Gagai.
"I've still got a bitter taste in my mouth," he said.
"I definitely want to win a grand final, and to do it here would be pretty special because this is where I've played most of my career."
The Knights have named an unchanged 17 for Sunday's clash with Wests Tigers at McDonald Jones Stadium.
