The Newcastle Knights are hoping history repeats itself as they welcome a new playmaker from the Sydney Roosters, aiming to solve a persistent problem that has plagued the club for years.
Parallels to a Past Solution
In 2017, after the Roosters signed Cooper Cronk, a 28-year-old Mitchell Pearce requested a release. He landed in Newcastle on a four-year deal, declaring his desire to lead a team from the halfback position. Pearce went on to start 71 games in the No.7 jersey, providing a period of rare stability and steering the Knights to two finals series.
Fast forward to 2025, and a similar script is unfolding. Following the Roosters' protracted pursuit of Daly Cherry-Evans, young gun Sandon Smith has inked his own four-year contract with the Knights. While Smith, 23, insists he "never felt forced out" of Bondi, the club's plans for a Sam Walker and Cherry-Evans halves pairing in 2026 made his path forward clear.
Smith has already stated that wearing the No.7 jersey for Newcastle is his "goal" and "the dream". The question now is whether he can have an influence similar to Pearce's, despite being far less experienced with just 46 NRL appearances to his name.
The Knights' Persistent Playmaking Problem
The departure of Pearce after the 2021 season opened a void Newcastle has struggled to fill. Over the subsequent four years, the club has used a carousel of players in the pivotal halfback role under former coach Adam O'Brien.
Jake Clifford, Adam Clune, Phoenix Crossland, Jackson Hastings, Tyson Gamble, and Jack Cogger have all been tried at No.7. Only Hastings (42 starts), Cogger (32), and Clune (22) managed more than 20 games in the position, and even their tenures were inconsistent and spread across multiple stints.
This lack of a settled playmaking duo has been a major talking point for the club and a significant factor in their inconsistent performances. Since the legendary Andrew Johns retired in 2007, only Tyrone Roberts (82 starts) has pulled on the Knights' halfback jersey more times than Pearce.
Holbrook's Halves Headache
The task of solving this puzzle now falls to new head coach Justin Holbrook. He faces a complex selection dilemma with multiple pieces to fit into a limited number of spots.
Holbrook has a prior relationship with Smith from his time as an assistant at the Roosters. Does he give the new recruit first crack at the halfback role he covets? Or does he shift the club's marquee $13-million man, Dylan Brown, from five-eighth to halfback?
Complicating matters further is the return of versatile young star Fletcher Sharpe. The 21-year-old, who has 26 NRL games to his name, switched to five-eighth last season and started 12 games there. If Smith and Brown form the halves partnership, where does Sharpe play?
The backline appears crowded with established talent: Kalyn Ponga at fullback, Bradman Best and Dane Gagai in the centres, and wingers like Greg Marzhew and Dominic Young. Smith has also been touted as a potential hooker, which could see him share dummy-half duties with New Zealand international Phoenix Crossland. That scenario could open the door for a Sharpe and Brown halves combination.
Tyson Gamble also remains on the roster, adding another variable to Holbrook's pre-season calculations. The coach is already facing a shortened preparation time with his full squad, making these decisions even more pressing before the round one kick-off on March 1.
On a positive note, the Knights appear to have developed impressive depth across their backline, with players like James Schiller, Connor Votano, and uncapped talent Wilson DeCourcey waiting in the wings. This cover will be crucial for a squad that has been hampered by injuries to key players like Ponga and Sharpe in recent seasons.
With Brown and Crossland due back to training next week, the picture will start to become clearer. But the final composition of Newcastle's spine, particularly the identity of their long-term halfback, may remain a mystery well into the new year as Holbrook weighs his options.
