Adam O'Brien has been in the Knights' hot seat for just 12 months and still has two years to run on his current coaching contract.
But he's clearly made a huge impression on the people who matter at the club after guiding the Knights to their first finals appearance in seven years in his rookie season.
So much so, talk of a contract extension beyond the end of 2023 is already in the wind with CEO Phil Gardner happy to go on the record this week to confirm negotiations will kick off with the coach before the start of next season.
"Adam's done an outstanding job since coming aboard and I hold him in the highest regard, as does everyone involved with our club," Gardner told us.
"We see him as our long-term coach and want him here for the long haul so certainly, we'll be sitting down with him to have discussions about his future and looking to extend his deal before next season kicks off."
A factor likely to be influencing the Knights' decision to move early on their coach is the realisation Craig Bellamy is set to finish up as Melbourne coach at the end of next season.
There is a genuine fear the Storm could see O'Brien as a potential long-term successor to Bellamy and target him, even with a year to go on his Knights contract.
O'Brien spent 11 seasons in Melbourne and was so highly regarded, he was made a Storm life-member when he departed even though he was leaving to join the coaching staff of arch-rivals, Sydney Roosters.
He is not only close to Bellamy but also enjoys a great relationship with Storm football boss Frank Ponissi, who was in Newcastle recently for a catch-up.
The Knights know that by jumping in early and extending his deal, it would effectively take O'Brien out of Melbourne's sights.
In the Knights' favour is O'Brien and his wife Sharyn have just bought a house in Merewether, which is a sign he has plenty of unfinished business here and is in no real rush to go elsewhere.
As it stands, premiership-winner Michael Hagan is the club's longest serving coach, having been in change for six seasons from 2001 to 2006.
Inaugural coach Allan McMahon, David Waite, Mal Reilly and Nathan Brown all had four-year terms.
GENEROUS JEFF
Jeff McCloy has been a long time retired from rugby league but the region's most high profile property developer hasn't been afraid to dip into his own pocket to help keep his former club Lakes United off struggle street.
For the fifth straight year, McCloy has agreed to be the Seagulls major sponsor in 2021. "He's been a godsend for the club," Lakes official Mick Sullivan told us.
OGRE ON BOARD
The Knights now have two ex-Internationals in their lower grade coaching ranks following confirmation of the appointment of former Kangaroos enforcer Mark O'Meley to a full-time role.
O'Meley, who has been working with the NRL and NSWRL and in recent times coached the NSW Blues Under 16's and Under 18's teams, has joined his former Bulldogs team-mate Andrew Ryan at the club.
We're hearing O'Meley will coach the Knights' Under 17's Harold Matts side with Ryan taking charge of the club's NSW Cup squad. Both will also spend time with the NRL squad but a big part of their roles will be in junior development and pathways coaching.
Head of development Scott Dureau will look after the Knights' Under 19's S G Ball team with former Macquarie Scorpions premiership-winning coach Adam Bettridge his assistant.
BEST OF MATES
Talk about a wonderful group of mates.
When Jack Johns made his NRL debut for South Sydney against the Raiders in Canberra last season, crowd restrictions meant it was unlikely he would have anyone at the game to mark the occasion. Ticket access was restricted to Canberra Raiders members only.
So what did a 20-strong group of his "lunatic" mates do?
"They all became Raiders members a few days beforehand just so they could get tickets and come down and watch me debut," Johns said. "I can't thank them enough for being there."
How good is that.
ADDO-CARR 'FOXING'
It is the silly season after all and no silly season ever passes without the Newcastle Knights being linked to a high-profile signing or two, however unlikely or illogical.
The latest to hit the rumour mill is that NSW Blues and Melbourne Storm winger Josh Addo-Carr has become a late target for the club as he considers his options for 2022.
Given the 'Fox' is chasing fullback money and wants upwards of $500,000-$600,000 a season and already has a four-year, $2 million deal on the table from the Bulldogs, it all sounded pretty far-fetched. Sure enough, it was.
"It's not true," Knights coach Adam O'Brien told us. "He's not on our radar and to be honest, we've never spoken about him.
"Aside from the fact we don't have the money, we've got Edrick [Lee] and Hymel [Hunt] and we've just re-signed young Star [To'a] for another two seasons and I'm really comfortable where we are at in that department.
"We seem to get thrown up a bit as being linked to players we've never even spoken about so I don't know where it originates from."
It wasn't that long ago Newcastle was heavily linked to signing Kieran Foran and in more recent times, James Roberts and Will Cambers were tossed up as potential targets which wasn't true.
SPOTTED
One player who won't be the subject of recruitment rumours given the Knights already boast three pretty fair props is Storm frontrower Jesse Bromwich.
But if anyone asks, yes he was in Newcastle during the week having dinner at the Lemon Grove Hotel at Wallsend on Tuesday night.
