The Newcastle Knights were something of a revolving door in the halves throughout the 2024 NRL season, and the positions are again among the biggest conundrums in the NRL as 2025 approaches.
2024 saw all of Jackson Hastings, Tyson Gamble, Phoenix Crossland and off-season recruit Jack Cogger spend time in the halves, while Englishman Will Pryce also put his hand up late in the season.
Despite starting the 2024 season as the only clear-cut pick in the halves, Hastings finished the year in reserve grade after struggling for form in Adam O'Brien's side.
It has been widely reported that the Knights will not stand in his way if he can find a new club to take over the rest of his current contract.
Injuries didn't help Newcastle either, with Gamble and Hastings both spending time on the sidelines as the club struggled for points throughout much of the campaign.
While Gamble has long been viewed as the likely number seven option for O'Brien's side coming into 2025, Wide World of Sports' The Mole is reporting the Knights have trained with Fletcher Sharpe at five-eighth throughout much of the pre-season.
That could leave all of Pryce, Hastings and Cogger - who signed from the Penrith Panthers following his role in the 2023 premiership winner - on the outside looking in at the start of the new campaign.
Crossland, who has spent plenty of time at dummy half in recent seasons, could yet fight his way onto the bench, but will be challenged even then for the utility role this season by Matt Arthur after the club signed the youngster from the Parramatta Eels.
Arthur himself will have an eye on the starting dummy half role in the Hunter, with reports Jayden Brailey could be on the way out, even if not immediately.
Sharpe, who was promoted to the Knights' Top 30 squad at the start of 2024, had a fantastic season at wing and fullback despite only playing 12 games.
Sharpe is listed as a fullback on the club's website, but has the ball playing ability to shuffle throughout the side, and has played a single game at halfback in reserve grade, that coming when he was a late inclusion for Ronald Griffiths' side against the Western Suburbs Magpies during Round 10 of the 2024 NSW Cup season.
Newcastle fell short in that game 24 points to 10.
The youngster, outside of a potential shift to the halves, would be in contention for a spot on the wing while also standing as the likely main back up option to Kalyn Ponga at fullback should he run into injury or concussion problems again during the year ahead.
