NRL: The Newcastle knights have miraculously made it into the NRL finals after defeating the Dolphins during the last regular season game of the year.
A planned player cleanout at Newcastle is being questioned after the Knights qualified for their fourth NRL finals series in five years.reports the club is looking to drastically reshape its roster and salary cap.
Big names including Jackson Hastings, Daniel Saifiti, Jayden Brailey, Adam Elliot and Jack Hetherington are among those said to have been “tapped on the shoulder” and told they can look for other clubs.Watch every game of every round this NRL Telstra Premiership Season LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on Kayo.
“The other thing I couldn’t work out yesterday — why are they tapping all these players on the shoulder?” Rothfield said on“I can understand the bottom nine tapping blokes but since O’Brien’s been there, four out of five years they’ve made the finals.Fellow reporter Brent Read said the Knights had to make moves to ensure they could keep young talent including prop Leo Thompson, who is currently on just over $250,000 and in need of an upgrade.
Read pointed out the likes of Saifiti were playing good football and in-demand, meaning the club needed to take the opportunity to free up cap space.host Braith Anasta said it was also critical the Knights could find more players to step up and support superstar Kalyn Ponga, who has brilliantly led the charge to the top 8.“He was amazing but if Kalyn isn’t, they probably don’t win a game moving forward.
“So they need ot put a strong team around him. Some players who can take some pressure off him so he doesnt have to do this.”
Clean-Out Question Regular Season Craig Fitzgibbon Finals Series Rugby League Reporter RESERVES WRAP REPORT CARDS Finals Surge Jack Hetherington Cronulla Sharks Elimination Final Showdown Roster Overhaul Planned Player Cleanout Jackson Hastings Brent Read Regular Season Game Leo Thompson Newcastle Knights
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