Joey calls out Knights for bizarre halves gamble
Newcastle legend Andrew Johns has cast doubt over coach Adam O’Brien’s latest halves shake-up.
The Knights will trot out a third halves pairing in five games when they host the Dragons at Hunter Stadium on Friday.
Jackson Hastings has been recalled to the line-up a fortnight after being dumped, and he will partner Jack Cogger in the team for the first time.
Cogger replaced Hastings two weeks ago but played only two games alongside five-eighth Tyson Gamble before the latter was axed this week.
O’Brien has chopped and changed his spine despite beating the Storm in round three, and losing two games by a collective nine points either side of that.
His call to combine Hastings and Cogger raised eyebrows for club legend Johns, given both are typically game-managing halfbacks.
Johns worked with Newcastle last year but has since left any official role with his beloved club.
“Remember Australia in the 90s, two dominant halves pairings were Ricky Stuart and Laurie Daley (at Canberra) and Alfie (Langer) and Kevvie (Walters, at Brisbane),” Johns told Wide World of Sports’ Freddy and The Eighth’s Tips.
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