JARROD Mullen’s career is hanging by a thread.

So what’s next for the battling club?

Facing a ban of up to four years after testing positive to an anabolic steroid, Mullen has been provisionally suspended from the game.

He now has the option of immediately accepting the results or having his “B sample” retested.

Round 19

It’s yet another kick in the guts for Newcastle who claimed their second wooden spoon in as many years at the end of last season.

While it’s unclear what step the half will take next, here are five burning questions facing Mullen and the Knights following Tuesday’s shocking news.

Who do the Knights replace him with?

Fortunately the Knights have a host of youngsters pushing for a regular gig in the NRL side.

Jaelen Feeney is also on the books and considered a half after a failed attempt to transform him into a fullback last year.

But Jack Cogger and Brock Lamb are two young prospects the Knights see having a bright future with the club.

So much so, Mullen had spent time training at hooker during the pre-season.

The No. 9 is another position they aren’t lacking depth in.

Playmaker Jarrod Mullen at training. Source: News Corp Australia

Premiership winner Rory Kostjasyn left North Queensland for the Knights during the off-season, while Danny Levi and Tyler Randall are also on the books.

Former Manly backrower Jamie Buhrer has also spent time at hooker.

While playmaking responsibilities will fall directly on the shoulders of Trent Hodkinson this year, they do have a handful of experienced players to call on to help him lead the team.

Buhrer has over 100 first grade games to his name, as does exciting centre Dane Gagai.

What does this mean financially to the club?

If Mullen, 29, is to accept the result and cop the four-year ban, his NRL career will be over.

With two years to run on his contract, the Knights’ playmaker is on a deal worth close to $600,000 a season.

If Mullen’s Knights’ career does come to an end then they have $1.2 million to splash on the open market.

Knights players at training. Source: News Corp Australia

Trent Hodkinson is also off-contract at the end of the season as are a host of big name halves.

Luke Brooks, Ben Hunt, Shaun Johnson, Anthony Milford, Mitchell Pearce, Gareth Widdop, Jack Bird, Mitchell Moses, Chad Townsend and Josh Reynolds all feature on the unsigned list.

It’s no secret the club is chasing a marquee forward and recently made a play at Roosters enforcer Dylan Napa.

Aaron Woods, Kane Evans, Ben Matulino, Matt Scott, Jordan McLean and Adam Blair are among the names without deals after this year.

How much more can the Knights take?

The Steel City has copped an absolute hammering in recent years, and Knights fans are entitled to ask when they cop a break.

Plans were already in the works for life without Mullen, his dodgy hamstrings have had the club on notice for a while and there is a good crop of young halves to build their future around.

But a drugs scandal is flat out devastating, particularly for a club man as popular as the 29-year-old local junior.

Nathan Tinkler during his time as owner of the Knights. Source: News Limited

Toss it on top of Nathan Tinkler’s tumultuous ownership saga, Alex McKinnon’s tragic injury, Wayne Bennett’s walk out and two wooden spoons and the joint could understandably be at breaking point.

Thing is but, Novocastrians are a resilient lot. Nathan Brown issued a call out to fans to get around his young, locally sourced side as they were being flogged up and down in 2016.

And so Newcastle did, with an average home crowd in excess of 14,000 leaving plenty of bigger Sydney clubs in the shade.

Newcastle will endure, but they sure could do with a good news day.

Does this open the door for Carney or Sandow?

No. Nathan Brown has been clear in the direction he’s leading the football club.

While Todd Carney and Chris Sandow have been eyeing an NRL return, the Knights are highly unlikely to extend the olive branch.

Both players would need the NRL to approve any proposed deal but with Cogger, Lamb and Hodkinson on the books, it’s hard to see Brown calling on the bad boys anytime soon.

Brock Lamb of the Knights is tackled. Source: Getty Images

Already Brown has pushed out several high profile players on big money and backing a youth policy rather than chase a quick fix.

Korbin Sims is the latest high profile player slated to leave the club in order to free up cash.

Sims has been linked with Brisbane and South Sydney this week.

Is this the end for Mullen?

Mullen’s career is currently in tatters.

He’s already returned a positive A-sample and has the option of having his B-sample tested by January 31.

If Mullen is indeed banned by ASADA and cops a four-year suspension, at 29 years old, his 211-game career is almost certainly over.

The Knights star has been hampered by hamstring injuries over the past few seasons and only recently quashed talk of hanging up the boots.

But a ban will most likely fast track that retirement.