On the eve of this season, Jackson Hastings said it would take between five and 10 games for he and halves partner Kalyn Ponga to hit their stride as a pairing.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The new duo didn't even get a full game together before concussion sidelined Ponga for five matches.
The partnership was revived when he returned last month but, for now, it's over.
The good news is the Knights aren't completely back to square one.
Hastings now has five-and-a-bit games in the bank playing alongside Tyson Gamble, who returned at five-eighth in the 28-18 win over Manly on Sunday.
"It frees me up," Hastings said, after the victory at McDonald Jones Stadium, of having Gamble in the halves.
"I ran the ball way more than what I had this year, just having a natural half there and 'KP' at fullback.
"It's obviously harsh on Lachie [Miller], he has been excellent for us, but you've got to fit 'KP' in somewhere.
"Tyson just brings another big body on the edge defensively and a lot of energy too.
"When I'm playing with the two boys that are just genuine runners, I've got to manage the game a lot more than when I'm with Tyson.
"Tyson frees me up to be able to run the footy and stuff like that, which is good for me and my game."
Playing more of an organiser and distributor's role, Hastings is yet to make a line-break and has only made five tackle-breaks in 2023.
In contrast, halfbacks Ben Hunt and Jahrome Hughes each have more than 25 tackle-breaks, and six and five line-breaks, respectively.
But Hastings had multiple runs against Manly in a clear point of difference from every other game this year.
The round-13 match was the first Newcastle's spine had played together.
Gamble's return came after three games on the bench. Ponga played fullback for the first time since last July, replacing Lachlan Miller who after 11 matches, was moved to the bench.
Knights coach Adam O'Brien may play Miller in NSW Cup this week while the NRL side has the bye to see how he fares as a utility.
Phoenix Crossland was also starting just his sixth game at hooker after the loss of regular rake Jayden Brailey to a long-term knee injury.
Hastings wasn't sure if the new-look spine was the best combination for the remainder of the year, but thought O'Brien would be unlikely to change it in the short term.
"He hasn't made any promises to anyone," he said.
"Everyone's job is on the line. It doesn't matter whether you've played 100 games, 20 games, it's just whatever is best for the team.
"I'm not sure if that's the combination moving forward. It's hard to change a winning team though. [Tyson] did a great job tonight and has done a great job every time he has filled in."
Newcastle are 12th at the mid-point of their campaign. After the bye, they face the Broncos (away), Roosters (home) and Panthers (away).
"We're not in a position where we're sitting at the pointy end of the table and people can just swap around, you've got to earn your stripes here," Hastings said of maintaining the spine.
"Whoever plays has got to put their best foot forward."
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Join the discussion in the comment section below.
Find out how to register or become a subscriber here.