The nib Newcastle Knights are blessed with options for 2019.
In the lead-up to the new season, newcastleknights.com.au will look over the depth of the Club and break down the positional options at the disposal of coach Nathan Brown.
This week we take a look at the front-row possibilities.
David Klemmer
The first couple of days have been really special
The Knights finally got their man.
The State of Origin and Test star has joined the Knights on a five-year-deal and will spearhead the forward pack in 2019.
Klemmer is one of the best metre gaining forwards in the NRL and is exactly what the Knights have been searching for.
Klemmer has representative and NRL experience beyond his years.
At only 24 he's played 113 NRL games, 17 Tests for Australia and 12 games for New South Wales.
In 22 games for Canterbury-Bankstown in 2018, Klemmer averaged 181 metres a game which was the third best in the NRL and the best for a forward.
Klemmer does his job extremely well so look for him to put the Knights on the front foot with his trademark hard runs.
Daniel Saifiti
It was a breakout season for Daniel Saifiti in 2018 as he was labelled a future Australian Test player by NRL Immortal and Knights legend, Andrew Johns.
He was playing well before his time back in 2016 and was forced to lead a young Knights forward pack when he was only 19.
But now he has help.
Saifiti was forced to learn how to play in the NRL the hard way and you can see his vast improvement from his numbers last season.
In 21 games, Saifiti averaged 113.2 running metres a game. In the final game of the season against the Dragons, he ran for 229 metres.
With the guidance of players like Tim Glasby and Klemmer, Saifiti will be looking to have a more consistent impact for the team.
Tim Glasby
Nathan Brown made no secret that he wanted a representative forward for the 2019 season.
He was able to snag two.
Glasby is one of the most reliable forwards in the competition. You know what you're going to get from him every time he's on the field.
Glasby: The enthusiasm is inspiring
He's won Grand Finals with Melbourne and won State of Origin series with Queensland.
He knows how to win which makes him exactly the type of player Brown wanted.
Whether it's at starting prop, lock or on the bench, Glasby will have a positive impact on this team.
James Gavet
Gavet plays the game at 100-miles-per-hour.
The 29-year-old has size and aggression.
He played a big role in the Warriors starting the 2018 season with a bang.
The Samoan international will most likely feature in the Knights 17 and will bring much needed aggression to the forward pack.
Herman Ese'ese
Ese'ese was one of the Knights best in 2018.
Joining last season from Brisbane, Ese'ese made his international debut for New Zealand during the historical Denver Test.
In 23 games last season, the 24-year-old was the Knights best forward in metres per game with 123.4.
Whether it'll be at prop or at lock, he's primed for a big 2019.
Jacob Saifiti
It was an injury ridden 2018 for Saifiti who was limited to eight games for the Knights.
He'll be ready to put last season behind him and look to build up some consistent football in the top grade.
We've seen that the 22-year-old can be a factor for this team, having already played 47 games for the red and blue in his young career.
Josh King
The hard-working front-rower will be keen to build on the NRL experience he had in 2018.
He featured in 13 games for the Knights and really developed as a player.
He's a hardworking forward with a tireless work ethic.
The 23-year-old has 40 NRL games to his name.
Pasami Saulo
What a rapid rise it has been for Saulo.
The 20-year-old trained full-time with the NRL squad last season and was rewarded with his first-grade debut in Round 22 against the Warriors.
Saulo went on to play three games in 2018.
With his body still maturing and Saulo using the pre-season to build muscle, look for the youngster continue his development and add to his game time.
