In a young forward pack, Herman Ese'ese really stood out in 2018.
One of the most consistent performers, Ese'ese played in 23 games and only missed one game because of suspension.
The 24-year-old was the aggressor for the Knights in 2018, running with flare and purpose each time he had the ball.
It seemed like Ese'ese was always taking the tough runs for the Knights as he averaged 12 hit-ups a game and made over 1022 post contact metres.
He was the Knights best forward in metres made and average metres ran per game with 2837 and 123.4 metres respectively.
Ese'ese was a terrific middle defender averaging 31.3 tackles a game and making 721 on the season.
The 31.3 tackles he averaged a game was the third best on the team only behind Aidan Guerra and Slade Griffin.
Ese'ese has now reached 50 NRL games and is building with each performance.
Moment of the Year: New Zealand v England
Ese'ese is a proud Kiwi and when his career is all said and done, making his debut for New Zealand in 2018 will be up there with his greatest achievements.
New Zealand faced England in a historic Test match in Denver during the representative Round in June.
Ese'ese was rewarded for his hard work with a spot on the bench.
What made the selection even more special is that he got to share his debut with Knights teammate Slade Griffin.
Sadly, the Kiwis were defeated.
The final score was 36-18 and Ese'ese saw 25 minutes of play where he took five hit-ups and made 22 tackles.
2018 season stats:
Games: 23
Tries: 2
Avg running metres: 123.4m
Post contact metres: 1022m
Tackles made: 721 (92.4% efficiency)
Line breaks: 2
Offloads: 5
Tackle breaks: 74
