Polglase's exit leaves Naiqama in No.1 frame
FORMER Dragons winger Wes Naiqama will be groomed as Kurt Gidley's fullback understudy during pre-season trials as the Knights adjust to the sudden retirement of underrated utility back Todd Polglase.
The 26-year-old Kurri Kurri and Knights junior, who returned to Newcastle last year after stints at the Bulldogs and Souths, has succumbed to a chronic hamstring injury he aggravated at a sprint session 10 days ago.
Polglase struggled to control his emotions when he told teammates of his decision at training at EnergyAustralia Stadium yesterday.
He declined interview requests but, in a statement issued by the Knights, thanked coach Brian Smith and the club for supporting him and wished the team luck for this season.
"I would like to thank the club for its patience and for giving me every opportunity to overcome my injury, but I had to make a decision that was right for the future," Polglase said.
"I intend to take some time away from football and consider my options before moving on to the next chapter of my life."
Smith had earmarked Polglase as a potential back-up to Gidley, but that role will now fall on Naiqama's broad shoulders, starting with the trial against the Warriors at North Harbour Stadium on February 15.
Naiqama, who has not played since reconstructive knee surgery last May, has spent most of his three-year NRL career as a winger or centre, but Smith believed the 25-year-old Fijian international could emerge as an explosive kick returner and broken-field runner.
"Obviously Wes hasn't played since early last year, so getting him back into the swing of things means he'll get a fair bit of time in the trials and he'll get a bit of time at both centre and fullback in this first game," Smith said. "When Wes plays fullback, we might even have a look at Kurt back in the halves as well. I know he's done it before but it's been a while so I wouldn't mind just having a look and seeing him in there. If Wes happened to come up for us at fullback, Kurt could give us another alternative around those positions."
Smith praised Polglase's toughness and tenacity and said his contributions on and off the field would be sorely missed by the club.
"He has been a pleasure to coach in his time here and he had the total respect of his teammates," Smith said. "He was always willing to do stuff on the field that a bloke of his size and shape would most often not do. He was very tough and very popular as a bloke; one of those fellas that has no problem fitting in anywhere and we're going to miss him a lot. Todd's a very witty sort of bloke he's always got a line but he was gone when he told the boys today.
"He was overcome with emotion and found it very difficult to get the words out."
Smith said Polglase and the Knights had reached an "amicable agreement" on a termination payout and would decide later this week whether to recruit a replacement.
"In the 10 days since it happened, he's been through the necessary business aspects of it with the club and the club showed a great deal of respect towards him and an amicable agreement was arrived at," he said.
"What it does for us from a salary cap point of view, and whether we decide to find a replacement or whatever, we'll determine that in the next couple of days."
Smith hoped Polglase would continue his association with the club in another capacity, possibly as a coach.
"I'm hoping when he feels it's appropriate we can find a way for him to be involved with the club," he said.
"I think he has some talents that would suggest he might make a good coach."
