FRESH START: Former Manly utility Jamie Buhrer hits it up during his debut for the Knights last weekend. Picture: Getty Images
THE Newcastle Knights have identified former teammate Tyrone Roberts as a potential weak link to exploit in Saturday’s clash with Gold Coast Titans at McDonald Jones Stadium.
HOMECOMING: Titans hooker Tyrone Roberts started his NRL career with Newcastle.
Roberts, who played 97 top-grade games for Newcastle between 2011 and 2015, is deputising as a stopgap hooker in the absence of injured dummy-half Nathan Peats.
POINT TO PROVE: Jarryd Hayne will have no shortage of motivation when he tackles the Knights on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images
More accustomed to playing halfback or five-eighth, at 176 centimetres and 88 kilograms Roberts will be one of the smaller players on the field. He is not renowned as a rock-solid defender and missed four of the 27 tackles he attempted in last week’s season-opening loss to the Roosters.
Knights back-rower Jamie Buhrer confirmed the Aboriginal All Stars representative could expect plenty of heavy traffic heading in his direction on Saturday.
Some of Newcastle’s big men, in particular the Saifiti twins, will outweigh Roberts by 30 kilograms or more.
“He’s played a fair bit of nine before,’’ Buhrer said of Roberts.
“Obviously he played a lot of minutes there last week, and playing in the middle is a tough position.
“In any team, you’re normally going to look to target the nine, so I’ve got no doubt our middles are going to rather run into him than [prop] Ryan James.’’
Buhrer was reluctant to discuss the controversy surrounding Gold Coast superstar Jarryd Hayne, who has been accused this week of angering teammates with his lackadaisical attitude towards pre-season training.
“I don’t want to give him any extra motivation,’’ Buher said.
“I think he’s got enough … it’s not a fear. He’s a great player. We’re just mindful of that and we’ve done our video on Jarryd. We know what he’s capable of and we’re going to do hopefully everything we can to limit it.’’
The Knights realise that Gold Coast, who beat them 30-12 and 26-6 last season, have more threats than just Hayne.
Last season, James steamrolled them in the round-24 clash in Newcastle, scoring two tries and carrying the ball 182 metres in 45 minutes.
He has carried that form into the new season, running 164 metres and making 28 tackles against the Roosters last weekend.
“Ryan James is an incredibly dominant player,’’ Buhrer said. “Then you’ve got [Kevin] Proctor, he’s a good player on the edge. You’ve got Hayne as well. They’ve got good young halves … across the board, the Titans have got a good team.
“They’re coming off a round-one loss, like us, and I’m sure they’ll be hungry.’’
The Knights will equal an unwanted 40-year-old record if they are beaten today and extend a losing streak dating back to round seven last season. The last team to lose 20 consecutive games was Newtown in 1977.
* Newcastle’s back-up halfback Jack Cogger has undergone pelvis-stabilising surgery and a hernia repair and will be sidelined for an estimated 14 weeks.
Utility back Chanel Mata’utia is expected to be out for at least three weeks with a torn hamstring.