The Newcastle Knights intend to have a "more local" recruitment and retention focus moving forward after parting company with chief talent scout Clint Zammit.
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The club's recruitment manager for nearly three years, Zammit - who joined the Knights after seven seasons at the Cowboys - was contracted until later this year but left his role on Tuesday.
He handled the majority of NRL player negotiations during his tenure but Peter Parr, Newcastle's director of football, has become increasingly involved since linking with the club in August.
Zammit has lived in Cairns during his employment, a point of conjecture for those who believed his position needed to be locally-based.
Parr wouldn't directly comment on Zammit's exit on Wednesday but said the club wanted to improve its focus on the region's talent.
![Knights football director Peter Parr. Knights football director Peter Parr.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/max.mckinney/a3d3f4ad-f763-4b65-8fd7-a4b3d59edff2.jpg/r0_0_5184_3456_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I don't think it's appropriate for me to comment on confidential matters with employees," he said.
"But going forward, we're looking at our whole recruitment and retention process, and we also have some plans we're putting together about what we do with our pathways in particular.
"There's no doubt moving forward, the club has the intention of having a more local focus."
Zammit, who was contacted but preferred not to comment, brought the likes of Adam Elliott, Jack Hetherington and Bailey Hodgson to the club, as well as departed players Jake Clifford and Anthony Milford.
![Former Knights recruitment manager Clint Zammit. Picture LinkedIn Former Knights recruitment manager Clint Zammit. Picture LinkedIn](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/max.mckinney/cbd87615-bde0-42e0-8089-e3f0abf3d68d.jpeg/r0_0_560_436_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
But Newcastle's commitment to local players has come under the spotlight in recent years.
A host of Hunter products, many former Knights juniors, have popped up at other clubs.
Knights officials have often remarked "you can't keep them all", but last season alone Central Newcastle duo Grant Anderson and Zac Hosking both made NRL debuts, Singleton's Josh King starred for Melbourne and Thornton's Max King emerged at the Bulldogs.
This season, Kurt Donoghoe debuted for the Dolphins in their inaugural game less than six months after playing five-eighth for the Knights in the Jersey Flegg grand final.
The Knights will not immediately replace Zammit's position.
Any future appointment is likely to be a slightly different role.
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