NYC Scoop: Knights
Warrick D. Nicolson
21/03/2012 5:00:00 PM
As 20 year old
Api Pewhairangi enters his third season in the NYC, he had a chat with
www.newcastleknights.com.au about the pride he has in captaining a team like the Hunter Ports
Newcastle Knights.
“It’s just an awesome feeling leading out the boys and seeing all the fans there,” said Pewhairangi. “I just love going out there, ripping in and representing the Knights and being captain this year has just been overwhelming for me.”
“Especially this year, the first two games has been amazing. Both games at home have been really good crowds, so it’s a great feeling to run out in front of them.”
The year started superbly with two commanding wins over the Dragons and Sharks, and Pewhairangi echoed the thoughts of his coach
Michael Crawley this year, by putting their success down to their new found commitment to defence.
“The past three rounds the boys have been working hard for each other and you can see that with our defence. There’s a good vibe in Newcastle this year, everybody is just willing to work hard and defend our line.”
Pewhairangi says a number of the points they scored in the opening two wins over the Dragons and Sharks came on the back of defensive efforts, and he said that the effort was still evident despite their loss to the Broncos in Round 3.
“Even on the weekend I thought our defence was pretty good, a few penalties and a few single efforts that let us down on the weekend. It was an arm-wrestle that we stayed in all game and something we can work on is giving away less penalties next week.
“A few times last year in an arm-wrestle we gave up early and so being able to come back against Brisbane was a good sign.”
Pewhairangi is now in his third year of NYC and believed that defensive mindset seems to be spreading across the competition in 2012.
Unexpectedly getting some senior NYC players back for Round 1 has also been a boost says Pewhairangi.
“It’s been a massive bonus having the full time boys back from the NRL pre-season, people like
Korbin Sims,
Will Smith and
Chanel Mata’utia, because we heard early on that they might not be back. Having Korbin back gives us really good metres and really good go-forward.
“Plus a couple of the younger boys have come up from SG Ball like
Kurt Mann who is working really well at the back for us,
Jackson Hill who is a good solid worker,
Tom Rouse our halfback who has been steering us around and just that group of boys. I think we’ve got a really good team this year.”
Time together off the field is an important part of the bonding experience for the team, and Pewhairangi says the boys like to have breakfast together after training and after games they are planning to do their recovery sessions down at Merewether beach.
The NYC Knights face the Canterbury Bulldogs in Round 4 this Sunday afternoon at ANZ Stadium. Kick-off is at 12:45pm. The team will be back in Newcastle for Round 6 when they host the Eels at Hunter Stadium on Sunday April 8 and Pewhairangi would love to see Knights members and fans out in force once again.
“Just keep coming because we love the support. We love seeing everyone there and seeing all the kids. Especially when they are calling our names as we run out of the tunnel.”
