From bench utility to fullback, to five eight to halfback, to centre and even the wing, Kurt Mann has covered them all and then some.
The 26-year-old proved to be a valuable signing from St. George Illawarra, plugging holes and filling in where needed throughout the season.
Originally signed as a hooker, Mann made 19 appearances in total for the nib Newcastle Knights, across six different positions. His season ran largely uninterrupted, aside from a three-week spell midseason thanks to a sternum injury.
Despite the injury, he managed to notch is 100th NRL game against the Warriors in round 16.
Mann showed his worth in every position he was tasked to cover, racking up a try, five try assists, three-line breaks and 22 tackle breaks.
He also broke the 1000 metre barrier for the season, averaging 54 per game. Not bad considering most of his games off the interchange bench were covering at dummy half.
Mann’s ability to play anywhere in the Knights backline was a huge asset in 2019, and should injuries take their toll again in 2020, there's no doubt Mann’s utility value will again be needed in full.
