New Newcastle coach Nathan Brown is keen to make some additions to his squad ahead of the 2016 NRL season, but out-of-favour Wests Tigers rake Robbie Farah won’t be among them.
Farah had been linked to a move to the Knights ever since Brown was installed as coach in September. The NSW hooker and former Blues assistant coach have formed a close bond during their time together in State of Origin camp.
However at the club’s first pre-season session at Newcastle Basketball Stadium on Thursday, Brown said there was no chance of Farah joining the Knights.
“Robbie won’t be coming to the club, as far as I am aware Robbie’s No.1 goal is to stay at the Tigers and stay in Sydney,” Brown said.
Brown has appointed former Tigers coach Mick Potter, alongside Mark Andrews, as an assistant coach. Rightly or wrongly Farah was fingered for Potter’s exit from Concord and that situation could have created problems if the former Tigers skipper moved to the Knights.
NSW halfback Trent Hodkinson is the Knights’ key off-season acquisition. Former NRL prop Mickey Paea has also been added to the club’s roster alongside Todd Lowrie.
But Brown said he was still looking to bolster the reigning wooden spooners.
“There are a number of sides out there that have salary cap trouble and we are under the cap and we have a little bit of money available,” Brown said.
“We are looking across the board whether it be a front rower, an edge back-rower … there are a number of spots are keen to add too if we can and the money has to be right, we certainly don’t want to be over spending.
“We have lots of decent young kids, we need to have a look where they are at so we are not blocking a pathway.”
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