It’s no secret that the Newcastle Knights are looking to make some significant roster changes after falling out of the NRL finals in week one.
For several players, the elimination final loss to the Cowboys marked the last time several players would don the Newcastle jersey before they enter the market.
As new recruitment boss Peter O’Sullivan prepares for an overhaul, Billy Slater has called for the club to spend more money on the spine, putting them in line with the Panthers, Storm and other heavyweights.
Climbing from 15th after seven rounds to rally into the eight, coach Adam O’Brien revealed his sights are set on a premiership.
But the exposure of the club’s heavy reliance on their superstar fullback remained a critical issue that must be improved in order for O’Brien beliefs to come true according to Slater.
“When you rely on Kalyn Ponga to be the star, and he was the star on Saturday night and they still couldn’t quite get it done… that’s an issue for me,” Slater said on Nine’s The Billy Slater Podcast.
“I thought he was the best player on the field. Everything good that the Knights did, Kalyn was wrapped around it.
“They were in the finals, Kalyn was there and they still weren’t good enough to beat the Cowboys.
“They still need to improve their roster, especially the key positions around Kalyn.
