LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
The Newcastle Knights' recruitment head honcho, Peter O'Sullivan, has taken a bold step by pointing fingers at past mismanagement for the departure of key players and is now focused on locking in star player Kalyn Ponga with a "lifetime deal" at the club.
O'Sullivan, known for his keen eye for talent, is not hiding his ambition to bring in Eels playmaker Dylan Brown to bolster their squad and chase that elusive premiership glory, all while fending off interest from the Roosters.
Ponga's contract with the Knights will expire in 2027, allowing him to entertain offers from other clubs starting November 1 next year if an extension is not reached.
Speculation is rife that the Roosters see Ponga as the heir apparent to James Tedesco's throne once the veteran skipper decides to hang up his boots, making the quest to keep Ponga a top priority for the Knights.
In a candid chat with seasoned league scribe Phil Rothfield, O'Sullivan shed light on the current financial hurdles faced by the Knights, owing to questionable contract decisions in the past.
With players like Jackson Hastings and Jayden Brailey commanding hefty salaries and tricky clauses in place, the Knights were facing a salary cap breach of $400,000 until they made the tough call to offload star forwards Daniel Saifiti and Leo Thompson.
O'Sullivan stressed to The Daily Telegraph, "We're in this mess due to poor contract management in the past.
We need to revamp the roster to set things straight.
It's not just about making the top eight each year anymore, we owe it to the fans to chase that title." With coach Adam O'Brien shaking up the team by axing Brailey from the leadership group and hinting at a changing of the guard at hooker, the Knights are clearly on a mission to shake things up and pave their path to success on the field.