Missing out on not one but two marquee signings has not deterred Newcastle coach Nathan Brown from luring a couple of "high-profile forwards" to the rebuilding NRL club.
However, Brown is not holding his breath over Warriors playmaker Kieran Foran signing with the Knights.
Since the pre-season coup of signing North Queensland teenager Kalyn Ponga, Newcastle have struck out big time on the player market.
The Knights missed out on Cowboys' Test prop Matt Scott before Cronulla star Jack Bird was snatched away by a late Brisbane bid.
Brown though remains confident of finally nabbing an elusive big name - eventually.
"We would like to think we have the capability of attracting two high-profile forwards in to help the young guys," Brown told Fox Sports' On The Couch program.
"If we get one we can get three or four but getting one would appear to be the hardest."
Brown has also made a play for Foran, meeting with the Kiwi international last weekend.
Foran hopes to move back to Sydney next year to be closer to his young children and has been linked to a reunion with ex-Manly coach Des Hasler at Canterbury.
"I didn't leave thinking Newcastle is a club he will definitely come to but if things work out right for his family I would say we are as good a chance as others," Brown said of Foran.
Former NSW State of Origin rake Michael Ennis believed Newcastle would be a perfect fit for Foran.
"I think Nathan has built resilience and a competitive nature (at Newcastle) - that's Kieran Foran, that is what he is about," Ennis told On The Couch.
"He was at Manly with (current Knights half) Trent Hodkinson so that relationship would form quickly.
"And the boom rookie Kalyn Ponga coming next year with (hooker) Danny Levi's improvement, they could form a formidable spine."
Brown is hoping for a change in recruitment luck after believing the Knights were a "50-50" chance of signing NSW Origin star Bird.
"We identified Jack Bird a long time ago," Brown said.
"It was going to be hard to get Jack out of Cronulla but once the Broncos came in (they're) a hard club to compete with."
Brown said fate stepped in to sabotage their plans to poach Scott.
"We were hoping to bring his wife down who was pregnant at the time but she couldn't fly," Brown said.
"One of our big (recruitment) things is trying to sell the town of Newcastle.
"For whatever reason we couldn't get Matt to town and as it eventuated his preference was to stay in North Queensland."
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