Mitchell Pearce has only been at the nib Newcastle Knights for a couple of weeks, but he's already impressed with what he’s seen.
“From the first day until now, everyone’s intensity has gone up,” added Pearce.
“There’s a lot of similarities from what I was used to at the Sydney Roosters but every Club does things differently and I’ve been really impressed with how everyone is improving here.
“The team is very professional, there’s discipline in the gym, on the field and even the way Brownie (Nathan Brown) has educated the team, they’re really clever and have smart footy brains.”
Pearce admits competition for a spot in the halves is tight and is excited about possible combinations in 2018.
“Connor (Watson) and Kalyn (Ponga) have been really impressive so there’s plenty of depth,” Pearce commented.
“Competition for positions is healthy, so it raises the bar at training and only helps the performance on the field.
“Jack Cogger has only played a few games but is really impressive and Brock Lamb is a real star of the future and is a really good player.
“I’ll be working as hard as I can to get that halfback spot.”
As an obvious leader for the Knights squad, the 28-year-old wants to earn the trust of his fellow teammates.
“I’ve only been here for a couple of week so for me it’s about earning respect and earning trust and building in to that slowly,” said Pearce.
“I’m training my hardest and I pride myself on working hard.
“I want to build connections with the boys, build our off-field relationships and hopefully come back after Christmas and hit the ground running.”
Pearce predicts the Knights are geared up for a successful 2018 campaign.
“It’s going to be a really strong side,” smiled Pearce.
“I’m happy to put all the pressure on the other sides and we’ll just keep working hard.
“We’ve definitely got a side here that can compete every week and do well.
“The sky is the limit for this group and who knows how we can go.”
