After Monday afternoon’s field training session, Newcastle Knight Jaelen Feeney sat down for Knights TV to speak to his teammate Jake Mamo.
Mamo has clocked the best beep test result for the team this pre-season and has been identified by strength and conditioning coaches as one of the squad’s quickest and fittest.
Known for his speed and energetic nature on the field, Mamo says he keeps an eye on the team’s other fitness frontrunners for added motivation.
“Dane Gagai goes pretty well and Tyler Randell is always tough to beat,” a humble Mamo explains.
“I try to jump myself in right next to those blokes so I can try to keep up.”
As far as the team’s most impressive rookies, who are tackling the NRL pre-season for the first time, Mamo believes twin brothers Jacob and Daniel Saifiti are well ahead of the pack.
“I think the Saifiti boys have really impressed considering they are both 120 kilos, they are leading the pack in the fitness and are only 19-years-old,” he said.
After a whirlwind 2015 season which saw him play nine games on the big stage, he’s set himself a goal to build on his first grade experience during the upcoming season.
“I’m trying to make the first grade side for as many games as possible and I’d like to be starting in the back line so hopefully I can get a couple of games in there,” he said.
“I’m looking to show some form in the trials and hopefully will get picked by Browny (coach Nathan Brown)."
In fact, his first chance to impress the new coach is at the Auckland Nines Tournament hosted at Eden Park February 6 and 7.
“The Nines are always a really fun tournament, so it will be good to go over there with some of the young boys and have some fun again,” he said.
The new ‘free play rule’ introduced for the first time at next month’s tournament is sure to make for interesting and entertaining football according to Mamo.
“It will be exciting and a free for all chip and chase. I can’t wait to see how it goes,” he said.
