Given there have been a few more pressing issues to worry about like making the play-offs and getting past the Parramatta Eels tomorrow to advance to week two of the finals series, the Knights' search for a new assistant coach isn't on top of the priority list right now. But that doesn't mean the names of some potential candidates to replace the departing Anthony Seibold haven't already been tossed around. Seibold's impending move to the UK to assist England rugby coach Eddie Jones may have only been made public last weekend but it's been common knowledge for some time he wouldn't be at the Knights beyond October 31 with his contract up. Former Sharks coach Shane Flanagan tossed his hat in the ring mid-season with his management phoning CEO Phil Gardner [and probably every other club] to express an interest in a coaching job. Since then, all the other usual suspects have been floated including the likes of ex-NRL coaches Paul McGregor and Dean Pay and current Panthers assistant and former Knight Cameron Ciraldo among others. Who knows, Michael Maguire could soon be available too. Head coach Adam O'Brien has a decision to make first. Does he go for an experienced head or an up-and-comer? Does he go after an attack-orientated assistant or simply fill Seibold's defence void? Rest assured most Knights fans would have the same answer to the last question. While there may need to be some massaging of the roster required, it appears Phoenix Crossland's future at the Knights will be sorted, at least for another 12 months. There's been speculation the 21-year-old playmaker may be squeezed out following the club's decision to bring in more experienced halfback Adam Clune from the Dragons next season as a back-up for Mitchell Pearce. But coach O'Brien likes Crossland's physicality in defence and his utility value so is understandably keen for him to stick around and continue his development. For those of you who dismiss as insignificant Mitchell Pearce's influence and down-play the Knights' achievement in reaching the play-offs this season with their chief playmaker only playing 11 games, consider this. Pearce spent 11 years at the Roosters and played less than 20 games a season just twice. In his first NRL season in 2007, he played 16 games and the Roosters finished 10th. In 2016, after the Roosters had won a premiership [2013] and three consecutive minor premierships [2013,14,15] under Trent Robinson, Pearce played just 12 games. The Roosters finished 15th. The following year with Pearce playing 23 games, they came second and made the preliminary final. Knights hooker Chris Randall's toughness has never been questioned since the day he debuted in the NRL against Penrith early last season and made a record 70-odd tackles off the bench in a memorable 14-all draw at Campbelltown Stadium. Well, he bettered that effort last weekend. Randall made 51 tackles and scored a second half try against Brisbane despite playing more than 70 minutes of the game with a fractured thumb that required surgery. Don't expected Bradman Best to be giving much too much lip to the Eels players in Rockhampton tomorrow. Best played a big chunk of the Broncos game last weekend with a badly lacerated mouth that needed micro-surgery in hospital to repair. He needed 14 stitches in his lip and mouth. The Knights left edge has contributed 43 of the side's 76 tries this season, 20 more than the right edge with 10 coming in the middle of the park. But conversions from the left touchline have been hard to come by. Jake Clifford has landed just three from 14 attempts. Spare a thought for Knights welfare man Matty Morriss. Last Saturday, he drove from Sunny Coast to Brisbane and was ball-boy for the Broncos game. After fulltime, he drove Jake Clifford the 7.5 hours to Rockhampton so that Clifford could be picked up by his dad at 1.30am to go to Townsville for his daughter's birth. Morriss stayed at Rocky to shoot some video of the ground the next day before driving 9 hours home. On Monday, he had to drive Chris Randall to Brisbane for surgery before bringing him home. But a taxing few days got worse on Wednesday during a staff kick-around. He tore his hamstring.
