Star recruit Trent Hodkinson will don Newcastle colours for the first time in the Knights' sole NRL trial match for 2016 against Canberra in Orange on Saturday.
Hodkinson shapes as the key to a Knights' resurgence under new coach Nathan Brown in 2016 and the NSW halfback will play his first match since a wrist injury suffered in August ruled him out of Canterbury's finals tilt last season.
The match won't give much of a clue of what to expect from Hodkinson and Jarrod Mullen in the Knights' halves this season though. Mullen has been stood down from the game as punishment for drinking while injured.
Youngster Brock Lamb, who featured at the NRL Auckland Nines, will partner Hodkinson in the halves.
In a sign of what Knights fans can expect in 2016, relative unknown Jaelen Feeney has been named at fullback.
The youngest ever Kangaroo Sione Mata'utia is in Brown's 25-man squad, but hasn't been named in the starting 13, indicating he may struggle to appear as a regular member of the team again this year. Pat Mata' utia and Dane Gagai have been named in the centres.
Raiders duo Blake Austin (shoulder) and Shaun Fensom (arm) will miss the clash in central western NSW, but are expected to be on deck for Canberra's season opener against Penrith on March 6.
