It’s no secret Justin Holbrook has a couple of tough decisions to make before a ball is kicked in anger in 2026.

Even superstar fullback Kalyn Ponga admitted he’d hate to be in the shoes of the new Newcastle Knights mentor.

Thanks to strong recruitment in the off-season, the 50-year-old appears to boast an embarrassment of riches in the halves with Dylan Brown, Sandon Smith, Fletcher Sharpe, Phoenix Crossland and Tyson Gamble all fighting for the No. 6 and No. 7 jumpers.

No matter who Holbrook chooses, he’ll also need them to provide a strong link to Ponga at the back and his strike centres Bradman Best and Dane Gagai.

Currently, the smart money’s on Brown and Sharpe to fill those spots, with Smith taking on the dummy half role, Crossland moving to lock and Gamble providing value from the bench.

“I’m still toying with a few things,” the head coach said.

“It’s been hard without Kalyn training.

“But, the luxury of that is giving Sharpie a fair bit of time at fullback.

“Once Kalyn’s fit, he’ll obviously play in the No. 1.

“So, over the next few weeks, we’ll juggle everyone around.

“Kalyn will have no issue with who he plays with.

“We just need help around him… and that’s what we’re going to provide, whether it’s Dylan and Sandon or Dylan and Sharpie in the halves.

“Whatever we come up with, we’ll be alright.

“That could mean Phoenix at 9 or 13, he’s equally as good in both positions.

“As for Tyson, he’s a competitive bloke, we all know it.

“He competes hard; however, he understands it could be as a utility.

“Tyson clearly loves playing in the halves but he’s tough enough to play in the middle as a lock forward.

“He’s got good ball skills, too.

“He is also aware we brought key guys in and he’s okay with that… he’ll battle for a spot.

“I’m not too worried about how it’s going to land.

“Once we get into some full training, and the post sessions, with the whole squad over the next few weeks, it’ll map itself out.”

Holbrook, who takes over the reins from Adam O’Brien, recently attended his maiden Knights Club Day at the Newcastle Permanent Centre of Excellence.

All teams, from the pathways to the NRL and NRLW, took part in the combined training session.

And, the boss liked what he saw, including the presence of a few “old boys”.

“I’m really proud to be a part of this and, obviously, leading it,” Holbrook said.

“To have all the grades, on the female and male side, is excellent.

“It’s great to get everyone together.

“I know they’ve done it before… and I loved the idea once it was mentioned to me.

“It’s so important and great for the NRL players to be involved, too.

“They need to realise it wasn’t so long ago that they were 15 or 16 and wanting a career in the NRL.

“For some of them, like Sharpie, they were Harold Matthews players as recently as 2020 or 2021.

“It is good for the NRL blokes to appreciate where they’re at and what they’ve worked for.

“And, I believe it’s equally vital to encourage those young guys and girls… it’s their dream to get to the top.

“So, it’s great for everyone.

“To see Newcastle legends like Danny Buderus, Billy Peden, Kurt Gidley and others participating was brilliant as well.

“Most of them are still very fit… and could still pull on a jumper.”

Even though the Knights collected the unwanted wooden spoon in 2025, Holbrook doesn’t plan on 2026 being a rebuilding season.

“I think, whether you’re a coach or a player, you want to be challenging [for titles] straight away,” he said.

“You don’t want to be buying yourself time.

“I’m not going to come out and make any outlandish statements saying we’ll win the competition.

“However, we’ve got as good a side as any.

“I know they didn’t have a strong year just gone but we’re not worried about that.

“We’re focused on this season.

“Firstly, we’ve just got to get the key guys settled and build on the connection among ourselves.

“If we do that, we’ll go well.”

For more sports stories:

• Knights superstar Ponga on track for Vegas opener
• Rabbitohs offer lifeline to ex-Knight Adam Elliott
• Players have their say: Denton Engineering Cup’s Top 25 revealed

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