‘Missing piece’: Holbrook’s reveal on Knights dilemma; huge praise for Dolphins skipper

Justin Holbrook has opened up on the Knights’ halves dilemma as he heaped praise on star recruit Dylan Brown and what he has brought to the team ahead of 2026.

Brown and Sandon Smith are two recruits set to shake up the Knights’ spine, but Holbrook told SEN radio that an injury to skipper Kalyn Ponga has delayed him confirming his spine make-up.

“I’ll probably use the next three weeks on it,” Holbrook told SEN 1170 Breakfast.

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“Sandon (Smith) can play half, but also hooker. Phoenix (Crossland) obviously prefers hooker but can also play 13, and then you’ve got Fletcher Sharpe, and we won’t get Kalyn (Ponga) probably training with us until February, so, we sort of have a key missing piece in training… with the recovery from his injury.

“I will use the next few weeks shuffling guys around, (figuring out) the side of the field that they’re gonna play on and it’ll work itself out over the next few weeks.

“I understand I have got to get that settled so we can get on with it, but the players themselves have been fine. They don’t care what side they play and what position but obviously they all want to be in the side, but I’ll fit them all in.

“I’m not 100 per cent sure yet, but, by the time the trials (have) finished, we’ll be really confident and clear on who’s where and we’ll get on with it.”

Of all the Knights’ recruits Brown is the most important after coming to the club on a record $13 million 10-year deal after 37 tries in 142 games for the Eels and five tries in 11 Tests for the Kiwis to date.

Holbrook has been impressed with the relaxed style and calmness that Brown has brought to the playing group.

“I love his demeanour, to be honest,” Holbrook told SEN 1170 Breakfast.

“I mean, before I met him, everyone goes, ‘he’s a pretty relaxed guy, pretty cool sort of person’, and I think that’s what this group needs.

“We’ve got that sort of hard work and mentality in the town up here, but Dyl (Dylan Brown) brings that real air of confidence and calmness about his footy, and, obviously, terrific for us, the way he played for New Zealand in that test series.

“He’s come up here again full of confidence… I mean, he’s been playing long enough, but I just think for the players around him, what he brings is that confidence.

“When you’re playing with those sort of good players, you feel better about your own game when you’ve got someone like that in your side.

“(I) love all these sort of personality traits and he’s a great trainer too. He’s obviously one of the fittest guys. He really pushes himself and he sets a really good standard for the others, so he’s fitted in really well.”

VETERAN FLOORED BY DOLPHINS YOUNG SKIPPER’S LEADERSHIP

Veteran enforcer Daniel Saifiti has been left gobsmacked by 21-year-old Dolphins skipper Isaiya Katoa’s leadership for such a young player.

Katoa doesn’t turn 22 until the 2026 trials, but has already been an NRL captain for the best part of a year, despite having just 68 NRL games to his name since his debut in 2023.

29-year-old Saifiti has played 191 games for the Knights and Dolphins since his debut in 2016 and has been captained by the likes of Boyd Cordner and James Tedesco at Origin level.

However, speaking with SEN radio, Saifiti showered Katoa with praise for his leadership qualities at such a tender age.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been more impressed by a player or a person,” Saifiti said.

“He’s only 21, and his maturity on and off the field is remarkable.

“He carries himself so well.”

Katoa has a quiet persona, but he speaks with authority when he has to and isn’t afraid to marshall his troops on the field as a young halfback and captain.

Meanwhile, his media commitments have shown how intelligent and what a student of the game the young playmaker is.

Saifiti commended Katoa for leading with his actions, while not being afraid to challenge his players verbally.

“He doesn’t drink, doesn’t have any vices. He’s such a good kid who was raised by a good family,” Saifiti said.

“Everything he says at training, he doesn’t say unless he does it himself.”

Despite captaining a number of veterans in the Dolphins squad before his 22nd birthday, Saifiti believes Katoa being the skipper and chief doesn’t feel awkward in the slightest.

“He’s a great leader, a great talker, and he’s captaining players over 30… It doesn’t feel awkward one bit,” Saifiti added.

“He deserves it, and we’re all ready to follow his lead.”

LEGENDS REACT AS BEARS UNVEIL LOGO

The Perth Bears have officially unveiled their logo for their inaugural season in 2027, with coach Mal Meninga praising the club’s connection between its past and future.

The Bears will become the NRL’s 18th team in 2027 and have already signed 12 players, but now their logo and colours have been confirmed in a nod to the proud history of the North Sydney Bears.

Meninga praised the link between the great history of the North Sydney Bears and the rugby league community in Western Australia.

“This is one club, one family, across two coasts,” Meninga said.

“This Bear honours the proud history of the Bears while embracing the energy of Western Australia.”

North Sydney Bears legends in Greg Florimo and Billy Moore were full of praise for the new logo design.

“Great legacies do not disappear, they evolve and I am so excited to see our North Sydney Bear reimagined in WA,” Florimo said.

Moore added: “This logo represents every player, every supporter, every moment that shaped the Bears.”

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Former Western Reds star and Panthers premiership winner Mark Geyer also backed the new logo.

“A new year brings fresh belief,” Geyer said.

“I’ve witnessed first-hand how rugby league has grown here in the West before and I definitely know what it means when the wonderful state of WA gets behind their sporting team.”

Bears CEO Anthony De Ceglie said the logo was the perfect homage to the North Sydney Bears, while giving a nod to their future in Western Australia.

“The Perth Bears are the most exciting story in Australian sport and we have taken our time to make sure we get this right,” De Ceglie said.

“The Perth Bears are a new club; but that will never change the fact that the birthplace and spiritual home of the ‘Bears’ in rugby league will always be North Sydney.

“We truly believe it represents something that both North Sydney fans and West Australian fans can truly get behind.”

The logo was created by diehard North Sydney Bears supporter and graphic designer Dave Carnovale, who wanted to create a responsible evolution using the Bears DNA.

“This logo represents the restoration of the Bears’ place in the game they helped create, resulting in a timeless symbol that bridges heritage with future-readiness,” Carnovale said.

“They are heading into such an exciting new chapter in Perth, just as the NRL is going global and I’m looking forward to seeing my sons recognise ‘daddy’s drawing’ out in the world.”

Bears Chairman Ben Morton said the excitement in Western Australia about the new expansion franchise was growing every day.

“The Perth Bears are a new club but not without history – West Australians get a Western Australian team in the NRL and loyal Bears supporters get the Bears back where they belong in Australia’s greatest sporting competition,” Morton said.

“The Perth Bears will always honour and respect the history of the Bears in Rugby League and under this new Bear, the Western Australian rugby league community and loyal Bears fans can unite as one in support of the Perth Bears in the NRL.”

PNG CHIEFS’ CEO REVEALED

In other expansion news, the Australian Rugby League Commission announced on Wednesday that the PNG Chiefs have appointed Lorna McPherson as their CEO.

The Chiefs, who will become the NRL’s 19th team when they enter the competition in 2028, announced its first ever board in June last year, which included McPherson.

Now McPherson, who has over a decade of experience working to support the growth of rugby league in Papua New Guinea, will step into an even more prominent role.

McPherson’s experience includes work as director of the PNGRFL and, more recently, as director of the PNG Chiefs.

She is also credited with leading the growth of PNG’s premier rugby league competition, the Digicel ExxonMobil Cup, as well as the establishment of the Santos Cup, an elite women’s rugby league competition in the country.

McPherson also headed government relations, sales, distribution, retail and marketing across PNG as a senior vice president for Digicel.

“Lorna has an outstanding track record of success in business and importantly has been entrenched in PNG and directly involved with Rugby League for over 16 years,” Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman, Peter V’landys AM, said.

“Securing a leader with a reputation for driving significant commercial growth across business and the elite local Rugby League competitions, along with established connections in PNG is an important step in building a strong administration for the Chiefs.”

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