The purge of halfbacks has continued across the NRL with Newcastle Knights playmaker Jackson Hastings the latest casualty to be dropped from the first grade side.
Hastings retained his spot as the starting halfback for the two trial matches and two opening round clashes but has failed to fire with the Knights sitting in 15th with a 0-2 record.
The Daily Telegraph’s David Riccio said that the decision was motivated by a lack of spark in Newcastle’s attack in the opening two rounds and that there is no underlying tension between Hastings and head coach Adam O’Brien.
“Jack Cogger now comes into the footy side to play alongside Tyson Gamble,” Riccio told SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“Hastings was given the first two rounds and trial matches at the starting halfback and the Knights have been looking too sideways.
“They haven’t been playing fast football or straight and direct football and unfortunately it’s fallen on Hastings’ shoulders.
“What’s going to be interesting is that Hastings is contracted to the Knights for another season (and) Tyson Gamble, the other half, is only contracted until the end of this season.
“It’s an interesting time for the three Newcastle halves, especially one of them who has been axed.”
There were initial reports that Hastings left training on Tuesday after O’Brien informed him that he would not be selected in the first grade starting side.
Riccio confirmed those reports but clarified that Hastings was given permission to leave training rather than train with the NSW Cup side.
“On Tuesday, it was very much a training recovery day with swims and a massage,” Riccio added.
“It was at that point that Adam told Jackson that if he’d prefer to have a swim and head home, it was fine with (Adam).
“He was told that he would come back tomorrow with a sharper frame of mind of where he needed to go to get back into this football side.
“This speaks to Jackson who is an emotional character who plays on the line in game.
“Adam telling a footballer that he can go home because he’s not in the starting side this week speaks to that character.”
Newcastle will be searching for their first win of season 2024 when they host the undefeated Melbourne Storm on Sunday evening.