Trent Hodkinson has juggled adjusting to a new team while settling in a new town in the past month, but it’s all been smooth sailing according to the Newcastle Knights’ new recruit.
He relocated from his base in Sydney to Newcastle this month to start pre-season training and has been welcomed warmly to his new home with blue skies and sunshine as well as teammates thrilled to have him among their ranks.
“It’s been good so far and the boys have been welcoming, and the coaching staff as well and the weather has been nice,” Hodkinson told Knights TV.
“They have all been nice and welcoming and have embraced me really fast.
“I’ve come along with my wife (Chantelle) and my pets. My two dogs and my cat have come along for the ride.
“We settled in last Monday and got the keys to the place at the back of Merewether.
“We are all settled in now and most of the boxes are unpacked.”
The incumbent Blues half has already explored some of Newcastle’s coastal attractions and immersed himself in the area’s laid back lifestyle.
“I’ve been down at the Merewether baths and it’s been nice,” he said.
“The weather has been perfect for it. I get down there and cool off and it’s also good for a bit of recovery.”
The sweltering heat on the training paddock has added an additional challenge for the squad with Hodkinson forced to watch on from the sidelines for much of it while he recovers from a wrist injury.
“I’ve been lucky enough to be inside as well out of the sun, but I’ve done a couple of sessions with the boys in the sun," he said.
“They’ve been ripping in out there, doing it tough and putting in the hard yards.
"I’m looking forward to getting out on the paddock fulltime hopefully in the next week or so, so I can rip in alongside them.
“I won’t be too far away.
“It’s good to see, Browny (coach Nathan Brown) has them working.”
The 27-year-old is eager to grow his game under newly appointed head coach, who has begun to stamp his mark at the Club from day one of pre-season.
It’s something that’s made easier by the fact Hodkinson had already forged a relationship with Brown through his time working in the NSW Blues Origin camp.
“I had a little bit of experience in the Blues camp and got on really well with Browny,” he said.
“I liked what he had to say structurally and the little advice he gave me as a halfback.
“I was pretty stocked when he jumped on board and it’s been going well so far.”
