I am feeling positive all youngish hungry players. Just cannot seem to get the last 6o years out of my head !!!!

I feel Durham our main problem over the past few seasons has been our injuries if Greg can sort this out we could be in for a better than good season.,.

Greg is . in my opinion our best signing..

GB will make a huge difference, and Watson has that Nathan Brown ability to get the most out of his players. Just hope all the chopping and changing doesn't upset the apple cart too much

Jack Cogger played for NSW in under 16s, 18s and 20s as well as for Australian schoolboys.

He made his firstgrade debut for Newcastle aged 18.

He was in the Newcastle Knights so-called "High performance" group from age 15, which was a group put together by former Australian coach Graham Murray to virtually train as future firstgraders. Over his time he has been coached by his father (a 350 game in all grades halfback - most capped player in all grades for Wests Magpies), Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler coached him for NSW rep teams, Troy Pezet, Scott Dureau and graham Murray (all firstgrade halves) coached him in the Knights high performance group, and he even got some private coaching from Matt Johns for a while at the Knights.

When he was about 18 he developed a pelvis injury that required some pretty serious surgery and he virtually couldn't kick and lost all his zip when running. He still played some firstgrade, but was a shadow of his former self.

The Knights offered him a small contract, but he got a better offer from Canterbury and took it.

At his time at Canterbury his kicking and running games improved over time, but I'd say he still has a lot of improvement to get back to where he was before his injury.

Thanks for the detailed analysis on his background Roopy. The Giants have just re-signed a top class conditioner in Greg Brown so it will be interesting to see if he has any impact on the young half backs fitness and durability. It's certainly adding to the feelgood factor here at the Giants and I can't wait to see the fella in action.

Not sure where you get your info from roopy, but you always seem to have the lowdown on our aussie signings! We could use a running six alongside sezer who would cause a real threat at the line. Hope he gets his pace back then

Cogs only played a handful of games in 2020 because reserve grade was closed down and canterbury were trying out different halves, and he is an outstanding trainer - was the leading trainer at the Knights in his teens - so he should be very fit and ready to go.

Next new signing announced today at 6.30pm on Giants TV. In no particular order I'd guess at JJ, LY, RL or someone else.

So its RL - Ricky Leutele. Another good signing. Good competition for places.

By LY do you mean Luke Yates?



Leutele is a great signing! Although didn't think we needed any backs. We need to spend money on props!

If you get Yates and Cogger, your other players will need to lift their training game.

Those guys train for 8 hours a day in the off season for fun.

They won an under 20s minor premiership together and played a lot of reserve grade and some firstgrade together at Newcastle.

Wondering which of the current back line is most under threat of losing their starting place now after the signing of Leutele.



Edit - Leutele played left centre for Toronto in their cup win at ours last season.

Hardly a week goes by without another signing. The much expected signing of Josh Jones has been confirmed by the club. Can anybody remember a time like this for Fartown or the Giants? I certainly can't. Rumours still circulating that Luke Yates could be joining. I'm more excited for the new season than ever before. COYG

Well it is Christmas

Been told Watson was after 3 players from Salford but only got 1 Yates

Seems odd to pay a transfer fee and only give a one year contract.

Luke Yates on 2 year deal!

The games against Salford next year are certainly going to have some spice in them.

The only reason is that we are close to salary cap and have given him a small year one pay with a bigger and better offer for years after that. I hope !!!

Let me guess - you are trying to sign Jake Mamo, Brock Lamb and Danny Levi so you can put together the Newcastle Knights under 20s spine of;



1 Mamo

6 Lamb

7 Cogger

9 Levi

13 Yates



Lamb seems to have decided to get a real job and play for Maitland after walking out on a deal at Parra in 2020 - and Levi was cut by Manly and was linked to Salford a few weeks ago, but that has gone quiet for some reason.

You would have thought they would have offered a sliding contract which is fairly common these days.



For your sake I hope I'm wrong but stinks more of him wanting to leave Hull then play for Huddersfield.

Luke Yates has been one of my favourite players for years.

When he was 15 he was the sort of forward who led the team from the front. He was always the guy who put his hand up to run hard when everyone else was out on their feet, and guys would lift for their captain.

Strangely, he made the NSW squad as 18th man in both under 16s and under 18s and got a game at both levels when others dropped out, and went on to be one of the best on the field. They didn't want to pick him because he was small, but when he got a chance, his big heart made up for his lack of size.

At Newcastle he was captain of most age group sides because he was the guy who led the way. He always put his hand up for the hard plays.

Nathan Brown only picked the little guy for firstgrade because he ran out of forwards, so picked the little guy who always had the best stats in reserve grade, but never let him play long minutes, and playing long minutes and doing far more than his share of the work is where Yates shines. When Yates turned 21, Brown told him he didn't have a spot for him and begrudingly gave him a chance to trial the next year for a reserve grade contract. Yates trained every day from the end of the season and showed up at the first training session and smashed all the fitness records. He still only got a second tier contract.

I found it funny that him and Pauli Pauli were together at Salford, because I always said when they played together at Newcastle in reserve grade, that you could make the best prop in the world if you put Yates' heart into Pauli's body.

He is the little engine that could (do you have that over there?)

The sceptics have always lined up around the block to tell him he can't be a middle forward in a halfback sized body, and he just works twice as hard as everyone else and does the job.

Love it. Sounds like we have a real workhorse who will lead by example both on and off the field.

Try the following link to see what we may be seeing next season https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjJnZv3GOsg. Alternatively type 'the best of ricki leutele' into your browser. Definitely worth a look.

Try the following link to see what we may be seeing next season https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjJnZv3GOsg. Alternatively type 'the best of ricki leutele' into your browser. Definitely worth a look.

Quote Wood1="Wood1"Try the following link to see what we may be seeing next season https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjJnZv3GOsg. Alternatively type 'the best of ricki leutele' into your browser. Definitely worth a look.'" Leutele is Quality and he'll be amazing for you next year, we tried to sign him at Warrington but Toronto said no, then they went tits up Melbourne signed him. The players you've signed for next year are awesome and you'll be a real force next season. Be exciting to see you play, you've got some absolutely quality players and i think you'll have a great year

Quote Wood1="Wood1"Try the following link to see what we may be seeing next season https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjJnZv3GOsg. Alternatively type 'the best of ricki leutele' into your browser. Definitely worth a look.'" Leutele is Quality and he'll be amazing for you next year, we tried to sign him at Warrington but Toronto said no, then they went tits up Melbourne signed him. The players you've signed for next year are awesome and you'll be a real force next season. Be exciting to see you play, you've got some absolutely quality players and i think you'll have a great year