news, local-news, Toohey's News, Slade Griffin, Newcastle Knights, Kristian Woolf, Joel Thompson, Danny Buderus, Paul Harragon

Luckless Slade Griffin won't play for the Knights again and his NRL career appears in tatters after he failed in a desperate battle to get back on the field this season following a fourth knee reconstruction. Griffin's story is a heartbreaking one. After more than 12 months on the sideline with his latest injury, the tenacious hooker had hoped to make a comeback during the final rounds after a torturous period of rehabilitation. But a Canberra specialist has told Griffin and the club his left knee is still not yet ready for the rigors of rugby league, scuppering his plans to play three or four games at the back end of the season in NSW Cup with the Knights. It has left his playing future under a huge cloud. He is off contract and has been told he won't be re-signed by the Knights and given his tragic injury history and the risks involved, it's highly unlikely he will earn a new deal with another NRL club. It's seven years since his knee blew out for the first time and since his NRL debut with Melbourne Storm in 2013, he has played just 42 NRL games because of three further reconstructions. He'd played 16 games straight for the Knights last season and his outstanding form saw him make his Test debut for the Kiwis before he ruptured his knee ligaments so badly in a round 16 game against the Bulldogs, it required a two stage operation just to try and repair it. So focused has Griffin been on getting back on the field, just about every waking hour since has been spent rehabing the knee, only for him to learn it may have been all for nothing. Don't underestimate how big of a loss Griffin has been to the club on the field this season. At the very least, the Knights could have done with his passion and drive to lead the defensive line. Could Knights coach Nathan Brown be looking for another assistant coach in the off-season? The club's current assistants James Shepherd and Kristian Woolf were both interviewed last week for the soon-to-be vacant head coaching job at St Helens with current coach Justin Holbrook headed to the Titans. St Helens boss Mike Rush was at the Eels game last weekend and was spotted leaving the dressingroom with Brown, who was at the helm in 2014 when Saints won the Super League grandfinal. Titans caretaker Craig Hodges, Storm assistant Jason Ryles and Warriors assistant Todd Payten have also been spoken about as potential St Helens coaches. But given his experience at the Broncos, Cowboys and now the Knights and his great success coaching Tonga at international level, don't be surprised if Woolf is knocking on the door the loudest. We told you weeks ago Sharks utility Kurt Capewell had been targeted by the Knights as a potential backrow recruit for next season. At the same time, we suggested experienced Manly backrower Joel Thompson was also in the frame. Since then, Capewell's name has been linked heavily with the Knights with Thompson publicly declaring he is prepared to take a pay-cut to stay at Manly. But the latest is Manly's drop in pay may prove to be too savage to keep Thompson. If so, don't be surprised if the Knights switch their focus to the 30-year-old, who is arguably in career-best form. You could just about fill a book writing about just the courage of Danny Buderus and the injuries he carried during his career. One that sticks out for us was back in late 2004 after the Knights legend tore ligaments off the bone in his big right toe. The pain from the injury was only slightly worse then having it needled just to get on the field for the final four or five games that year. After every game, he was in agony when the needle wore off and was forced to try and sleep with his right foot submerged in an ice bath. The Knights missed the finals that year but Bedsy refused to give in to the injury and waited for the off-season to undergo surgery. He became an NRL Hall of Famer this week, a great honour for a champion player and even better bloke. It's an anomaly we find hard to fathom that there are more than 100 players in the NRL Hall of Fame and Paul "Chief" Harragon isn't one of them. He can't be far away from getting the nod. He was nominated again this year but missed out and given his contribution to the Knights, NSW and Australia, you would have to think his time will come. But whether he is ever recognised by the NRL or not, he will always be regarded as the spiritual leader of the Knights and as such, will be front and centre when the Knights' Centre of Excellence is opened in November 2020. The club will honour its past and recognise it's Hall of Famers and life members and house all its memorabilia in a Legends' Room in the Centre to be named after Harragon. While on Chief, it seems the Knights legend can still pull a crowd. He and Paul "Fatty" Vautin are set to re-live their The Footy Show days when they team up together again in Newcastle early next month for Tales and Ales at James Squire at Honeysuckle. Tickets have been in such hot demand, the lunch on Friday, September 6 is already booked out with only limited tickets left for a second dinner show that night so hurry or miss out. Triple M Newcastle personality Frank Barrett will handle the MC duties. We are hearing at least one Newcastle Premier League soccer coach who was told he had the job for next season may not be as safe as he thinks he is with potential replacements already canvassed. Stay tuned. They may be business partners at Creer Property but Brendan Walsh and Craig Nealon will be on opposing sides today when Lakes and Central do battle for the Creer Cup in the Newcastle RL competition at Cahill Oval. Walsh is a Lakes man while Nealon formally played for and coached Central, who currently hold the cup but face Lakes on Old Boys' Day. The company has put up $500 for the winning team with the money to go to charity. Lakes are supporting Ronald McDonald House with Central's charity Charlie's Run 4 Kids.

https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/barry.toohey/6ad37bc0-4c23-42f2-839c-8bd35bdfc546.jpg/r0_296_3500_2274_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg