It’s Wednesday morning at Knights HQ and the Newcastle Knights are meticulously working away on their defensive principles ahead of the weekend’s match against rivals the Manly Sea Eagles.
As the team breaks into groups and begins a series of contact drills with the tackle pads, Korbin Sims’ focus is not only on himself.
He’s doing his best to offer guidance to the side’s younger forwards.
“I’d like to think they have taken on a bit of what I have to say," he says.
“I have been taught by a couple of older players myself like Beau Scott, Willie Mason and Jeremy Smith as well.
“I’d like to think I can pass on a bit of what I know, even though I’m still working on my game myself.”
Knowing first hand how valuable the advice from senior players has been in to his own career, he’s eager to impart even the simplest of tips and tricks to his captive audience.
“It’s a few of the minor aspects of defence I’m trying to pass on to the young lads,” he says.
“They are raw and all they are doing is trying to improve their game and they are doing that.”
Sims says the Knights were building in week's prior but last weekend's match against the Sharks was disappointing.
“When we come off a loss like we did against Cronulla, it doesn’t show what we’ve been building towards in the last three weeks to a month,” he says.
“It’s good to see the young lads back out there, really hungry to learn and want to know as much information about defence as they possibly can.”
The focus now turns to the Manly Sea Eagles, and that rivalry between the two clubs.
“They had a great rivalry when we first started in 88,” he says.
“It’s going to be a great challenge, our forward pack versus their forward pack.
“We’ll let the speedsters to their thing on the outside.
“I have played at Manly enough now to know the hostility of the crowd and the chants they are going to bring.
“That’s football and the kids will learn going down to Manly is always a tough ask, but that’s where Newcastle and Manly cut all ties.”
Sims welcomes the addition of David Bhana to the starting side in the second row following Mitch Barnett’s suspension.
“Dave's been down in reserve grade working on his game for a few weeks now and I’m sure he’ll be ready to go on the weekend," he added.
“He’s a good defensive player and works on his game a lot at training.
He’s going to certainly add a lot of spark to us in the middle and a bit of control.”
