Lock him in: new Dolphin follows path of England greats
Joel Gould |
The stars have aligned for England international Morgan Knowles to start the NRL season at lock forward where he has such a rich pedigree.
The 28-year-old has reunited at the Dolphins with his former St Helens coach Kristian Woolf, with whom he won three consecutive Super League grand finals and a Challenge Cup final.
Hooker Jeremy Marshall-King set to miss up to four months with a knee injury so versatile Kurt Donoghoe, who mostly played No.13 in 2025, is set to start the season at hooker.
Max Plath, another lock option, is not expected to return from an ACL rupture until round three, while captain Tom Gilbert is likely to initially slot into the back-row after his pectoral/shoulder comeback.
Knowles played in the the recent Ashes series at lock and was named in the Super League Dream Team in the position.
“That’s my position …loose forward,” Knowles said.
“Ideally that’s where I want to play but the competition is fierce and there are loads of great players.
“First and foremost for myself I want to earn the respect of my teammates. Selection will come off the back of it.”
Leaving Saints was not easy for a man who played 246 games for the club and describes himself as “proudly Cumbrian and proudly English”.
Knowles watched the likes of the Burgess brothers and James Graham make the jump from Super League to NRL with distinction and is determined to do the same.
“I’ve only known one club. I came through the academy at Saints and had my full career there,” Knowles said.
“It’s refreshing being at a new club and a new competition in the NRL. Obviously I had a relationship with Woolfy from working with him over in England. I trust him so when the opportunity came up I jumped at it.
“It was a tough decision. I love the club at St Helens. I was just ready for a new challenge, to take myself out of my comfort zone and come over here and prove myself again.
“If I could do a quarter of what some of those English boys have come over and done I’d be very happy.”
Knowles has forged a reputation for being mobile, tough and hard-working.
The NRL should suit him.
“The ruck is a little bit different (in the NRL) and the boys are used to training at that speed so that is something I will have to try and catch up with,” Knowles said.
“I am a lighter middle forward so it suits my game a little bit more.”
The no-nonsense approach of Knowles gells with coach Woolf and it is a partnership the Saints legend knows will work a treat.
“It was pretty daunting coming over to a different competition, different country and not knowing anyone,” he said.
“Having the comfort of him knowing the player I am and person, and me likewise having that trust, was a big reason behind my decision.
“Woolfy thinks a lot of St Helens too so (contract negotiations) were always respectful but we kept in contact since he left.
“He said, ‘if you ever want to come out I want to be in the conversation’. I was coming to the end of my contract at St Helens and I trust him, so when the opportunity came up I jumped at it.”
AAP
