Kurt Mann isn't guaranteed to start at hooker in Round 1.
He's working as hard as anyone in the team.
The nib Newcastle Knights recruit is in the midst of a positional change and there's plenty of work to be done in order to make it a success.
"At the moment I am just going to put my head down and keep working hard," Mann said.
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Mann on positonal switch
"Browny (Coach Nathan Brown) has picked out a few things that I need to work on and especially with the position change for me there are a few things that I need to work on and get better at with.
"At the moment I just need to put my head down and keep working until we get into trials."
In a bid to fast-track his learning, Mann has been working closely with former premiership winning hooker Rory Kostjasyn.
"I have been doing a bit of work with Rory," Mann said.
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"He was a hooker himself and played a lot of first-grade games there, so he has been pretty helpful as well."
While most will predict his biggest challenge is defensive, having to tackle in the middle, Mann spent several games last season playing lock.
He's confident he's up to the defensive challenge and admits his greatest area for improvement is around his service.
"Probably passing off the ground," he admitted.
"Naturally passing comes pretty easy to me playing in the halves as well but it is a little bit different when you have to pass off the ground.
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"It is a different technique and Browny being a former hooker himself is pretty critical about it too, so if there is anyone who is able to turn into it will be him."
Mann will get his first chance to flex his new skills when the Knights face the Dragons on February 23 in a trial match in Kogarah.
"It will be a walk down memory lane," he said.
"I caught up with a few of the boys in Wollongong on the weekend and we have been having a few gabs at each other about the first trial game, so yeah I am really looking forward to it."
