Contract situation is black and White
BY ROBERT DILLON
MATT White is playing for his footballing life.
Until five days ago, the big, bald Knights prop was wondering when or if he would play at NRL level again.
Languishing in the Central Newcastle NSW Cup (reserve grade) team and off contract at season's end, his professional career was going nowhere fast.
But a phone call on Friday morning provided the 24-year-old from Inverell with an unexpected shot at salvation.
On the other end of the line was Knights assistant coach Rick Stone, who told White that representative forward Steve Simpson was in doubt with injury for the crucial clash with Penrith at CUA Stadium that night.
Stone told White to grab his boots, jump in a car with Knights trainer Graham Perkins, and high-tail it to the Penrith hotel where the Knights had stayed overnight.
At the very least, he would be Newcastle's 18th man.
By the time they arrived at Penrith, Simpson had failed a fitness test and coach Brian Smith delivered the best news White had heard all year.
"You're playing," the coach said. "In the starting line-up."
White did not need a second invitation.
Having last played in Newcastle's first-grade team on August 3 last year, he was in no mood to let this opportunity slip through his fingers.
"It has been a little bit frustrating, being stuck in reserve grade," he said yesterday. "But I've just been biding my time, hoping I'd get another shot at first grade.
"When I found out I was playing on Friday, I knew I had to grab it with both hands and make the most of it."
White did just that.
Packing down against Penrith's international props, Petero Civoniceva and Tony Puletua, he carried the ball 80 metres in 43 minutes and made 28 bruising tackles.
His up-front enthusiasm helped Newcastle to a 30-18 upset against the Panthers, a result that keeps the Knights in touch with the top eight.
It was also enough for White to retain his position in the run-on team for Saturday night's showdown with Cronulla at Toyota Stadium.
In doing so, he has nudged ahead of fellow free agents Jesse Royal and Mark Taufua in the race to land a new NRL contract be it with the Knights or elsewhere.
White, who has made 22 appearances since his NRL debut in 2005, admitted that Friday's surprise call-up was a priceless chance to advertise his talents.
"I'm off contract at the end of this year, so I suppose I had to make a bit of a name for myself and prove what I'm worth," he said. "So, yeah, there was a bit of pressure there."
Knights officials appear in no rush to kick off contract talks with White, but that could change if he strings together a few good games.
"They haven't really shown any interest in re-signing," he said. "My manager's been talking to a couple of clubs, but nothing too flash yet."
Smith said there were "still a couple of spots open" in next season's squad, but the club was well-stocked in terms of front-rowers.
"We've got Dan Tolar, Richard Fa'aoso, Steve Simpson, Zeb Taia, Chris Houston, Ben Cross, Danny Wicks and Tim Natusch who can all play prop, and probably Cameron Ciraldo, too, at a pinch," Smith said.
"We're not short in that position. We'll be monitoring how Mark, Jesse and Whitey go for the rest of the season . . . but it's a fact of life that there are a lot of front-rowers out there who are off contract."
The agent who manages both White and Royal, Darryl Mather, has held talks with the Warriors about Royal.
Mather said there was "some interest" but nothing had "crystallised".
He said his next move would be to start exploring the possibility of finding a club in England for Royal, although the 28-year-old has played only 25 NRL games, 11 short of the minimum requirement for Super League imports.
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