Kurt Mann believes he’s found a home in the No.6.
Having already filled several positions for the nib Newcastle Knights this season, Mann finds himself at five-eighth outside Mitchell Pearce.
It’s a role not foreign to him although he did start the year expecting to spend the bulk of his time at hooker.
Not that the former Melbourne and St George Illawarra player is complaining.
“I’m definitely starting to get more comfortable with it,” Mann said of playing five-eighth.
“It’s not something foreign to me. I grew up playing in the halves so it’s something I’m pretty comfortable with.
“Those combinations with Pearcey, KP and even with Connor now that he’s starting to play hooker is coming along nicely.”
Having played fullback, hooker and five-eighth this year, Mann admits the halves is where he feels most at home.
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“Everyone always asks me where my favourite position is and that’s probably it, it’s somewhere I grew up playing,” he said.
“I came down here as an 18-year-old kid as a five-eighth. I sort of got shifted around when I was in Melbourne, played a few positions that I hadn’t played before.
“Five-eighth is somewhere I’d definitely like the opportunity to play.”
While he filled in at fullback last week with Kalyn Ponga (rested) out, he returns to the halves when the Knights travel to Melbourne on Saturday.
“It’s a hard trip,” he said of facing the Storm in their own backyard.
“Coming from Melbourne and being in that environment and system. They take pride in their home games.
“They make it a fortress for them, It’s a tough road trip. I’ sure they will be talking about the way we’ve been playing for the last few weeks and trying to stop our momentum.”
Having won six-straight, the Knights are filled with confidence.
But Mann says the best is still to come.
“All teams are always trying to prove themselves. We’ve still got a lot to prove as well,” Mann said.
“We’re not playing at our best at the moment. I think we’ve still got a lot of room for improvement there. Playing against one of the heavyweights of the competition this weekend, they’re probably the benchmark and have been over the last five or six years, it’ll be a good test for us and good to see where we’re at.”
