IT hasn't taken long for Kai Pearce-Paul to give Knights fans a glimpse of his potential, but the towering English import insists he has much more to offer.
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Pearce-Paul, who joined Newcastle late last year after helping Wigan win a Super League grand final, had been expected to start slowly in the NRL, following foot surgery that sidelined him for much of the pre-season.
But the 23-year-old back-rower's form in Newcastle's first three games would suggest he has taken that setback in his stride and is already exceeding expectations.
After starting off the bench in their season-opening loss to Canberra, Pearce-Paul was on the field from kick-off until full-time in their ensuing clashes with North Queensland and Melbourne.
Each week, statistics would suggest he is getting better.
In Sunday's tense win over the Storm, Pearce-Paul was Newcastle's best-performed forward both with and without the ball, gaining 145 attacking metres and making 39 tackles.
Across his three games so far, he has made 87 tackles and missed only two, for a 97.7 per cent efficiency rating. He is averaging 111 metres per game in attack.
And his four offloads have given a snapshot of what the 1.98-metre, 108-kilogram strike weapon hopes to deliver on a regular basis.
"This league is the best league in the world and I've already noticed that it's a lot faster out here," Pearce-Paul told the Newcastle Herald.
"It feels like every game is like a final in Super League. You get tested out every game.
"But I'm sort of getting my bearings and getting used to the pace, and the more games I play and the more experience I get, hopefully the better I can perform."
Pearce-Paul said he was still settling in and building an understanding with the players around him.
"It's only early days and the same goes for everyone," he said. "The more we play together, the combinations improve and the culture between each player keeps growing.
"For me, it's still a new environment but I'm loving every minute of it."
After kicking off his stint Down Under with back-to-back defeats, Pearce-Paul said it was a "a mad feeling" to beat in-form Melbourne last weekend in a 14-12 cliffhanger.
"We've just been progressively getting better," he said.
"To lose by one point against the Cowboys was a bit heartbreaking, but fortunately we put it together against Melbourne and got the job done."
Pearce-Paul said he is already feeling at home playing in front of the Novocastrian faithful.
"The atmosphere has been really good," he said. "Obviously the crowds in England are really loud and there's probably a bit more chanting, but the fans here in Newcastle get behind us when we most need it, and we're grateful for that."
Pearce-Paul is expected to go head to head with veteran Warriors back-rower Kurt Capewell at Mount Smart Stadium on Sunday.
