Stone eager to weave in Webb
BY ROBERT DILLON AND BRETT KEEBLE
31 Aug, 2010 04:00 AM
KNIGHTS coach Rick Stone believes former Queensland Origin enforcer Carl Webb would be a "good fit" for Newcastle next season who could provide their pack with an intimidatory edge.
Stone travelled to Sydney on Sunday and spent two hours with Webb, who is off contract at the end of the season and set to part company with the North Queensland Cowboys.
Stone said the Knights had not decided yet whether to table an offer to the 29-year-old, who has reportedly attracted interest from Parramatta, Penrith and English Super League clubs.
"I mainly went down to meet Carl Webb, because I'd never met him before, and try to find out what he's like and what motivates him and what he can bring to our footy club," Stone said.
"I think he'd be a good fit for Newcastle. Being a bit of a country boy, I think he'd have an affinity with the town, for sure. But I'm still working through the process and having a look at some videos to do a little bit of homework on him."
Stone said the Knights "probably need to make up our minds pretty quickly" if they should make an offer but admitted the prospect of unleashing Webb and confirmed signing Neville Costigan (Dragons) in tandem was an enticing one.
"That's an angle that attracts you, I suppose," he said.
"He's played a bit with Neville before and they're pretty tight mates, and between those two they could definitely bring a bit of an intimidation factor to your team. I think every team has to have a little bit of that, particularly in the forwards, and that probably attracts me a little bit."
A 180-game NRL veteran who has played 12 times for Queensland and a lone Test for Australia in 2008, Webb's main issue in recent years has been fitness - or lack thereof - but Stone said some players can benefit from a change of scenery.
"Generally with those sort of blokes, it [ability] is there, but it's a matter of whether they have the real desire and motivation to make it happen," he said.
