Shannon McDonnell determined to make the most of opportunity
BY ROBERT DILLON
MID-season signing Shannon McDonnell admits he will effectively be playing for his career in Newcastle's crucial clash with Canberra Raiders at EnergyAustralia Stadium tomorrow night.
McDonnell, who joined the Knights two months ago after requesting a release from Wests Tigers, will fill in as fullback against the Raiders in the absence of skipper Kurt Gidley, who is unavailable because of NSW Origin commitments.
It will be the 21-year-old's fourth game since linking with Newcastle and he realises subsequent chances might be few and far between unless he creates a big impression.
Adding to the pressure is the knowledge that he has nothing definite lined up yet when his contract with Newcastle expires at season's end.
"It's like window shopping I need to be in the window for people to see me," McDonnell said yesterday.
McDonnell's preference is to stay with the Knights next season, but that prospect appears unlikely because of salary cap constraints and the likelihood that Gidley's presence would restrict his opportunities.
He possesses an English passport but said he would rather continue his NRL career, which kicked off as an 18-year-old in 2005.
"It's hard just getting that shot, because there are so many senior fullbacks who have cemented their spots," he said. "It's just a matter of getting a chance to do that myself.
"I don't really want to go overseas yet. I still think I've got something to prove here."
McDonnell said he had not yet asked his manager to start contacting rival clubs because "I wanted to get a few games under my belt and take it from there".
The diminutive speedster showed his versatility last week by playing on the wing against Melbourne, but Newcastle have the bye after they meet Canberra and could have James McManus and possibly Cooper Vuna available for their following game, against Manly.
Competition will be hot for positions in Newcastle's backline but McDonnell is determined to remain focused on the job at hand.
"I look forward to these games and I'll be trying to make the most of them," McDonnell said. "It's good getting back-to-back games.
"It helps me feel like part of the team and I feel like it's good for my consistency. The more games you play, the more comfortable you feel, and the better you get to know the boys."
Meanwhile, Knights coach Brian Smith gave his three most reliable workhorses a break from training yesterday in an attempt to freshen them up for tomorrow's clash with the in-form Raiders, who have beaten Melbourne and Gold Coast in their past two outings.
Forwards Isaac de Gois, Chris Houston and Matt Hilder were all excused from yesterday's ball-work session after marathon defensive efforts in last week's loss to Melbourne.
Herald
I agree, I don't think Luke Walsh circa 2007 would've done too well in the front row either!
But unlike some of the other wacky ideas pasted on any forum from time to time, yours at least seem to have some reasonable period of observation and thought put into them even though they are very much from left field!
