Adam O'Brien has officially begun his role as Head Coach of the nib Newcastle Knights, and he has wasted no time getting to business.
While O'Brien has been busy organising player rosters, training schedules and touching base with his squad, he has also been introduced to local media, including local TV station NBN.
The wide-ranging interview with journalist Kate Haberfield covered all topics, including recruitment, experience, mentality and what it takes for the Knights to feature in September next year.
O'Brien admits he's had to be patient in waiting for his chance for a Head Coaching role.
"The Club had to be the right fit for me and I had to be the right fit for the Club," O'Brien said.
"It took me 12 years to leave Craig at Melbourne, and then obviously the one year at the Roosters, so I've been really patient."
One thing that has already pleased the new boss is the vast amount of players already ripping in to volunatry pre-season training.
22 players were on the paddock on Thursday morning, nearly a week before pre-season training officially begins on November 6.
"There was 19 of them here on Wednesday when I drove through the gates, so I was really really happy," he said.
"Then to see 21 or 22, that's a large chunk of your squad here training off their own accord, they're not asked to by the Club."
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Despite this being his first Head Coaching role, the 42-year-old has no doubt he can take the Knights to their first finals series since 2013.
"I feel with the apprenticeship that I've had, I've seen how teams behave and how they train, obviously with Melbourne," O'Brien said.
"I think being a part of the last four grand finals, I can tell these guys 'this is how we need to act every single day,' and then the game should be the easy part."
