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http://news.leaguehq.com.au/knights-new-boy-walsh-set-for-nrl-debut/20073901-g5p.html
Knights new boy Walsh set for NRL debut
Rookie Newcastle halfback Luke Walsh says he is finally ready to show the NRL what all the hype is about.
While teammate Jarrod Mullen has been the player touted in the media as the next Andrew Johns, it has been 20-year-old Walsh the Knights have been quietly grooming to fill the No.7 jersey.
Ideally, the Knights were planning on Walsh at halfback and Mullen at five-eighth for life after Joey.
But Walsh has been hampered by an ankle injury since Johns retired earlier this season and Mullen has been forced into his less-favoured halfback role even though he won a NSW No.7 jersey for Origin I.
A calf strain has ruled Mullen out of Saturday's clash with Sydney Roosters at Gosford's Bluetongue Stadium, prompting coach Brian Smith to promote Walsh into his first-grade debut.
Having played just two premier league games this season due to injury, Walsh said he is ready to make the big step to NRL level.
He has little doubt though he will be in for a torrid night as the Roosters target the young debutant while trying to ensure the Knights don't bounce back from last week's record 71-6 loss to Brisbane.
"They will be targeting me all day and running at me. I'm looking forward to it," said Walsh.
"I'm not too worried at the moment. I'll just go out there and do a job and lead the boys around and not worry about last week. The boys have got over it.
"I do a lot of work with my kicking game and it has to be right on song with Minichiello at fullback."
Walsh isn't the only change to the Newcastle side, with controversial recruit Mitchell Sargent called in to make his Knights debut.
Sargent replaces Kade Snowden in the starting front-row, his first NRL game since being sacked by North Queensland last year for testing positive to cocaine in an in-house drug test.
Walsh and Sargent take the number of Knights to play first-grade this season to 33, with Nathan Hinton (fullback) and Reegan Tanner (bench) also making 2007 debuts.
Walsh is the third halfback and, despite the constant changes around the scrumbase, with Marvan Karawana, Riley Brown and Daniel Abraham among the five-eighth options already this season, the 20-year-old said he feels settled in the first-grade team.
"I feel good. All the boys have taken a liking to me," he said.
"I trained with them last year all pre season but never got an opportunity.
"This year the boys have really taken a liking to me, especially Bedsy (hooker Danny Buderus).
"Mullo's helped me out a lot and just looking forward to it.
"He's been a massive help. His support and watching him play week in week out and just knowing I should be there with him has helped me a lot."
Knights new boy Walsh set for NRL debut
Rookie Newcastle halfback Luke Walsh says he is finally ready to show the NRL what all the hype is about.
While teammate Jarrod Mullen has been the player touted in the media as the next Andrew Johns, it has been 20-year-old Walsh the Knights have been quietly grooming to fill the No.7 jersey.
Ideally, the Knights were planning on Walsh at halfback and Mullen at five-eighth for life after Joey.
But Walsh has been hampered by an ankle injury since Johns retired earlier this season and Mullen has been forced into his less-favoured halfback role even though he won a NSW No.7 jersey for Origin I.
A calf strain has ruled Mullen out of Saturday's clash with Sydney Roosters at Gosford's Bluetongue Stadium, prompting coach Brian Smith to promote Walsh into his first-grade debut.
Having played just two premier league games this season due to injury, Walsh said he is ready to make the big step to NRL level.
He has little doubt though he will be in for a torrid night as the Roosters target the young debutant while trying to ensure the Knights don't bounce back from last week's record 71-6 loss to Brisbane.
"They will be targeting me all day and running at me. I'm looking forward to it," said Walsh.
"I'm not too worried at the moment. I'll just go out there and do a job and lead the boys around and not worry about last week. The boys have got over it.
"I do a lot of work with my kicking game and it has to be right on song with Minichiello at fullback."
Walsh isn't the only change to the Newcastle side, with controversial recruit Mitchell Sargent called in to make his Knights debut.
Sargent replaces Kade Snowden in the starting front-row, his first NRL game since being sacked by North Queensland last year for testing positive to cocaine in an in-house drug test.
Walsh and Sargent take the number of Knights to play first-grade this season to 33, with Nathan Hinton (fullback) and Reegan Tanner (bench) also making 2007 debuts.
Walsh is the third halfback and, despite the constant changes around the scrumbase, with Marvan Karawana, Riley Brown and Daniel Abraham among the five-eighth options already this season, the 20-year-old said he feels settled in the first-grade team.
"I feel good. All the boys have taken a liking to me," he said.
"I trained with them last year all pre season but never got an opportunity.
"This year the boys have really taken a liking to me, especially Bedsy (hooker Danny Buderus).
"Mullo's helped me out a lot and just looking forward to it.
"He's been a massive help. His support and watching him play week in week out and just knowing I should be there with him has helped me a lot."
