Matt Hilder hits his stride
BY BRETT KEEBLE
UNASSUMING Newcastle utility forward Matt Hilder is making more tackles per minute than any other player in the NRL this season.
The 26-year-old back-rower's 314 tackles from eight matches has him ranked sixth behind Dallas Johnson (390), Cameron Smith (342), David Stagg (333), Nathan Friend (328) and Micheal Luck (325).
But Hilder, who came off the bench in Newcastle's first three games but has started at lock in their past five, is averaging less than 62 minutes a game. The five men above him are averaging 71.9 minutes (Johnson), 81.8 (Smith), 79.4 (Stagg), 80 (Friend) and 79 (Luck).
Hilder's roving role is similar to that played by Robbie McCormack, Paul Marquet and Bill Peden in Newcastle teams of previous eras.
And, just as those men did, Hilder hurts when he hits and seems to have little regard for his wiry 184-centimetre, 94-kilogram frame.
"I think it just comes down to more minutes. I'm playing more time so I'm just getting more tackles up," Hilder said.
In his second season in Newcastle after stints at the Titans and Sharks, the tradesmanlike toiler wants to extend his stay and the Knights feel the same way.
"Matty's a priority for us to retain. If anything, he's gone up on what he did last year and we were rapt in his performances last season," coach Brian Smith said.
"He's actually finding a little bit of ball play. He's throwing a few more passes for us this year and bringing his forwards on to the ball.
"He's lost none of his high standard of defence either and that's putting it mildly.
"His ethic, his toughness I really think he typifies what everyone at Newcastle likes about footballers."
The Knights are yet to make an offer but Hilder's manager, Wayne Beavis, will be in Newcastle next week to kick off formal negotiations.
"We're talking but we need to see the colour of their money, simple as that," Beavis said.
"There's no offer there yet but they're keen to keep him and they're talking positive, so we'll see what comes out of it next week."
Hilder said he was happy for his wife, Natalie, and Beavis to take care of his contractual negotiations so he could stay focused on his on-field commitments.
"Smithy's indicated to me that they're keen to keep me on board and I'm keen to stay, so I'm sure we'll come to some agreement there," Hilder said.
"The role I'm playing on the field, that suits what I do best so the last thing I want to do is go to another team and they have me playing somewhere I don't really want to play, so I'm pretty happy that's where he wants me to play.
"No one wants it to drag on forever. With the salary cap, and there's a few boys off contract, the way it works means the more people they sign, the less money there is for you, but I'm a firm believer in thinking that things will work out for themselves.
"I don't really worry too much about all that. I leave that up to my wife."
In the absence of seasoned NSW and Australian second-rower Steve Simpson for much of the season, Hilder has teamed with Chris Houston and Zeb Taia to dominate some higher-profile back-row combinations this season.
The next trio in their sights are Gold Coast's Ashley Harrison, Mark Minichiello and Anthony Laffranchi at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Sunday.
Unlike Hilder, Houston and Taia, all three have played representative football, but the Knights are yet to be rattled by reputations.
"We're working pretty hard together, working hard at training, and the coaches have got it pretty right about what we need to do to win games," Hilder said.
"We're doing that at training and doing it in games and it seems to be working pretty well.
"It's giving us confidence. Just the feeling we had in the game against Brisbane last week we never really felt like we were going to get beaten.
"That feeling can only come with believing in what you're doing then actually doing it on the field.
"That's the big step forward for us."
Herald
