There is a battle brewing at the nib Newcastle Knights over who will get the nod to start in the halves for the 2018 season.
Talented local youngster Brock Lamb already knows the ins and outs of Trent Hodkinson and Jack Cogger's games, so this pre-season he will be aiming to build a strong combination with newcomer Connor Watson.
“He's a good bloke and we've had a few laughs already,” Lamb told Knights TV.
“We got along pretty well to start with and hopefully the combination forms on the field.
“There will be a lot of time for us to learn how each other plays and how we can organise the team... so it's exciting to see how we can build a combination.”
The 20-year-old maintains it will be crucial to get a good pre-season under his belt to claim a starting spot in the side.
“I'm going to try and stay injury free,” said Lamb.
“The two weeks of pre-season so far have been tough, but I think all the boys have been ripping in and we are showing improvements from last year which is important.
“I want to cement a spot within the team, try and play some consistent footy throughout the year but until Christmas it is just getting my fitness right and training hard every day.”
The Knights half admits the Club’s new roster for 2018 is coming together nicely.
“To see how some of the boys train compared to how we trained as a group in the past year is very exciting and everyone is buying into it,” Lamb added.
“It's exciting not just for us players but for the fans with a few new faces.”
And Lamb said he’ll be able to take advantage of a more experienced Newcastle side next season.
“All the boys tend to look up to the older fellas,” he said.
“You have Jacob Lillyman, who has come in and I know he is helping the boys and you’ve got Aidan Guerra.
“There are a couple more to come which is important for us younger boys to learn and grow off them.”