NEWCASTLE Knights officials are monitoring with interest the status of representative centre David Simmons after reports that Cronulla were poised to release him.
Knights coach Brian Smith is understood to be a Simmons fan, and Newcastle held negotiations with him last year before he eventually re-signed with the Sharks.
Newcastle strategic development manager Keith Onslow said his information was that Simmons would stay at Cronulla to serve the final season of his contract.
But should that situation change, it would be no surprise if the Knights made a move for the 23-year-old, who has scored 49 tries in 105 NRL games and represented City Origin in 2006.
"I think the club pursued Dave Simmons the year before and he's a name that always comes up in discussions," Onslow said yesterday.
"There was some talk that he might become available after Cronulla signed [Anthony] Tupou, because their salary cap was tight.
"I think anybody would be interested if a player like Dave Simmons became available, and we were keeping our interest up to date with his manager.
"But his manager emailed this week to say the rumours about him leaving Cronulla had no substance and he was going to stay put for 2009.
"So we've left it at that."
Meanwhile, Newcastle's plans to recruit Newtown winger Byron Ford have fallen through.
The Knights announced last month that they had agreed to terms with the Cook Islands international, who had been offered a two-year deal.
But the 26-year-old has since contacted Newcastle and indicated he would not be in a position to join them because of personal issues.
"He's had an about-face . . . it's disappointing," Onslow said.
Ford, a former US college basketballer and member of the notorious Bra Boys surfing gang, had been earmarked as a project player who would have boosted the depth of Newcastle's outside backs.
He scored 15 tries for Newtown in the 2008 NSW Cup season, including a long-range effort against Wentworthville in the Jets' grand final loss.
Onslow said negotiations with former Test star Adam MacDougall were ongoing.
He admitted it had been a "slow process" but said there was no reason to doubt that the veteran outside back would re-sign for one last season with the Knights.
/
