Newcastle are leaving nothing to chance with new addition Jackson Hastings and his halves partners by leaning not only on Immortal Andrew Johns but also former Wallaby Berrick Barnes.
Barnes flies down from NSW’s far north coast to the Hunter two days a fortnight to work on goal-kicking and general kicks in play, and has been immediately impressed by Hastings.
The 36-year-old Barnes labelled Hastings “an alpha male” but someone who would be great for the Knights and potential new five-eighth Kalyn Ponga.
Coach Adam O’Brien reached out to Barnes about coming on board after the club were poor with their kicking game last season.
“You look through the stats last year and Newcastle were just about on bottom with every kicking stat,” Barnes told the Herald before flying to Japan to spend a week working with a university rugby side. “They will make kicking a priority this year, and I’m just there to help reinforce that with the players and work with a few of them.
“Most of the stuff so far has been general-play kicking. I’ve enjoyed working with Jacko — he challenges you, he challenges the coach, but the good thing about him is he’s willing to drive a team, and confident in his own ability to do that.
Jackson Hastings averaged more touches per game than any other NRL half in 2022.
“He’s been great for the environment so far. Jacko is an alpha male, he’s a leader in his own right and believes in what he thinks … he’ll be a good fit for Newcastle.”
Hastings was a huge fan of Barnes and recalled the first time the pair met on the training paddock.
“He came up to me and said, ‘hey mate, I’m Berrick Barnes’, and I was like, ‘I know mate, I’ve watched you play about 50 Tests for the Wallabies’. I used to love watching him with his long blond hair and the headgear.
Former Wallabies coach John Connolly with a fresh-faced Berrick Barnes during a 2007 training session.Credit:Tim Clayton
“He’s not teaching us how to hold the ball or kick the ball, it’s when to kick it, how to set yourself up, hand position … it’s about putting ourselves in the best position to get a clean kick away and land it in the right spot. He’s a really positive guy.”
The Knights have been running with Ponga and Tyson Gamble at five-eighth. The biggest headache about moving Ponga will be weakening the all-important fullback position.
Barnes said the left and right-footed combination of Hastings and Ponga was a “kicking coach’s dream”.
“With Jacko and ‘KP’ you get a right and a left-footer, and as a kicking coach that’s your dream because you can open up the field and put the back three under pressure,” Barnes said.
“You want Jacko leading you around the park, and you want KP to jump on an opportunity when he sees something. They’re both lucky to also have the ‘Eighth’ [Johns] there helping them as well.
“Newcastle fans just need to be patient. Penrith’s Jarome Luai and Nathan Cleary have been together since they were 14, and that’s 10 years together. Whatever combo Newcastle go with, there will be teething problems, but hopefully not for too long.”
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