He was the little-known halfback thrust into the limelight for six top-grade games back in 2014 by Newcastle Knights coach Wayne Bennett when Jarrod Mullen was injured.
Now Michael Dobson, the former Junee Diesel junior who spent the bulk of his playing career in the English Super League, is poised for a shock return to the club almost a decade later, this time in a senior coaching role.
Dobson 36, will join the Knights coaching staff next season as a replacement for departing assistant Willie Peters, with confirmation of his appointment expected in the coming weeks. Peters is headed to England to coach Hull Kingston Rovers.
The choice of Dobson by Knights coach Adam O'Brien will no doubt raise a few eye-brows among Knights fans who were expecting the club to opt for another senior assistant with NRL experience following the departures of Anthony Seibold and Peters within the space of 12 months.
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Instead, it's believed O'Brien sees Dobson, whose playing career in England ended at Salford less than five years ago, as the perfect development coach to mentor the club's younger players and get them ready to play in the NRL.
As part of his new transition and pathways role, Dobson will assist with the NRL squad and also coach the Knights' NSW Cup side in 2023. Current Cup coach Mark O'Meley is expected to be in charge of one of the club's junior teams.
Dobson, who played 285 top grade games in England and Australia, the bulk of them [153] at Hull KR, has spent the past few seasons at Queensland Cup club Wynnum Manly.
Currently, he is the club's academy manager and coach of the Seagulls' Colts side, which won last season's premiership and are on track to go back-to-back this year.
It's understood he was poised to take over as Wynnum Manly's Q. Cup coach next season before landing the Knights gig.
Dobson will join current assistants Rory Kostjasyn, Blake Green and Eric Smith in the coaching ranks with club legend Andrew Johns set to continue in a part-time consultancy role in 2023.
Hoy deal in jeopardy
There is speculation utility back Tex Hoy's reported deal with English Super League club Hull is about to fall through after the Knights knocked back a request for an immediate release.
Hull's Australian coach Brett Hodgson wants Hoy right away to replace ex-Bulldogs and Tigers five-eighth Josh Reynolds, who has been granted an early release on medical grounds by the club.
But the Knights have blocked any move for Hoy to leave early, citing Ponga's Origin commitments and concussion dramas along with the season-ending injury to young fullback Bailey Hodgson as the reason.
That decision could prove costly for Hoy, with Hull now said to be looking elsewhere for Reynolds' replacement.
Tied to the Knights on a development deal, Hoy played just his fifth NRL game this season against the Titans last night and is not contracted for next year.
Knights coach Adam O'Brien didn't rule out the possibility he could be re-signed after the win over the Titans.
Hodgson told the English media during the week: "It's tough to call. It's 50/50 if I'm brutally honest. There's a number of factors. Whether or not it happens with us and his management, we'll see how it goes."
Asked what he likes about Hoy, Hodgson said: "I like a number of things. He can cover a number of positions. He's got speed and we lack speed across the board at certain times. But again, he's just one player of many that we're having conversations about."
School stars on show
The Knights will have five players chasing higher honours at the Australian Schoolboys championships which kick off today and run until the finals on Friday at Redcliffe in Queensland.
Four players - Myles Martin, Ethan Ferguson, Caleb Garvie and Jeremy Trappett - will feature in the Under 18's titles while young Scone halfback Lachlan Hails will play in the Under 15's.
An Australian Schoolboys side will be chosen at the end of the tournament.
Thompson set to re-sign
Rookie Knights prop Leo Thompson is on the verge of securing a contract extension with the club beyond the end of 2023 after an eye-catching debut season in the NRL.
After playing just a handful of league games following a code switch, the former Kiwi rugby player, whose identical twin Tyrone plays Super Rugby for the Chiefs, linked with the Knights from Canberra on a development deal this season.
He was promoted to the top 30 squad before a ball was kicked and made his NRL debut in round 1. He has since featured in 14 top grade games.
At just 22, who knows where his ceiling may be.
Kiwi cricketer's son joins Knights
Newcastle Knights have signed the teenage son of a former New Zealand Test cricketer.
Sebastian Su'a, an 19-year-old middle and edge forward from Auckland, will link with the club next season on a three-year-deal.
The 106 kg forward has both a league and rugby background and is expected to join the Knights' Jersey Flegg squad. Su'a is the son of Murphy Su'a, the first Samoan-born cricketer to play at Test level for the Kiwis.
A left-arm medium pace bowler, Su'a played 13 Tests and 12 one-day internationals for New Zealand between 1992 and 1995, figuring in the Kiwis' 92 ODI World Cup squad.
