HAYDEN Knowles has spent a lifetime in rugby league searching for an edge.
Along the way he has learned all too clearly that 15 other NRL clubs are looking for the same thing, and that only those willing to put in the most effort have any hope of finding it.
In a game of millimetres, Knowles is the man responsible for ensuring his players are fit enough, strong enough and fast enough to get across the line, against opposition who are hell-bent on stopping them.
He can't get them to that level simply by barking orders as they run laps or lift large metal plates.
Success, he realises from past experience, is as much about an ingrained mindset as it is about physical condition.
So when Knowles first joined the Newcastle Knights as their new head of perfomance, after previous stints with Parramatta, Sydney Roosters, Gold Coast, NSW Origin and most recently the 2021 premiers Penrith, his first task was to gain an understanding of what makes the club tick.
He reached out to a trusted contact, Knights legend Tony Butterfield, with a text message asking him to nominate a bloke he played alongside who embodied the club's culture.
Butts responded with a glowing endorsement of one of the great quiet achievers, Paul Marquet, a Raymond Terrace junior who started out in under-21s in Newcastle's 1988 foundation season.
Marquet was never a headline act.
But the flint-hard back-rower played in 231 first-grade games for Newcastle and Melbourne, and helped both clubs win premierships.
He was, Butterfield declared, "as valuable as the Chief [Paul Harragon] in any team", because of his selfless work ethic and willingness to do the dirty jobs that often went unnoticed by everyone bar his teammates.
So on day one of pre-season training in November, Knowles and Knights coach Adam O'Brien invited Marquet to address the squad.
In his own unassuming manner, the 52-year-old delivered a message that was, by all accounts, nothing short of inspirational.
Two months down the track, the 2022-edition Knights have left town for a three-week training camp, during which Knowles hopes to observe a little bit of Paul Marquet in each and every player.
Newcastle's entire NRL squad and staff will spend a week at the University of New England in Armidale, and then a fortnight at Lake Keepit Sports and Recreation Centre, roughly halfway between Gunnedah and Tamworth.
Part of the rationale behind the camp has been to minimise exposure to COVID, which has already impacted on pre-season training, after a host of players tested positive when they returned from their Christmas-New Year break.
But the main driver has been the belief shared by O'Brien and Knowles that three weeks in camp will give their team a priceless edge.
"I really, really value any time when we can get players to live and breathe footy," Knowles told the Newcastle Herald.
"I mean full-time, all day, every day.
"We're blessed to be backed by an organisation that are willing to support us in bringing a team away for three weeks. It's pretty rare. A lot of teams might go away for a week, or three or four days, but to be able to do it for three weeks is pretty special."
Knowles said players had been enduring 13-hour days.
"We try to take advantage of every minute we can. It's a priceless time," he said.
"The boys get more connected than ever, as do the staff.
"We can get more reps in, more drills, more time on the training field, more meetings, more learning. We just live and breathe rugby league for three weeks.
"To be honest, I don't know how much fun that is for the boys. They can't go out anywhere.
"But for me, selfishly, the benefits are enormous."
The recent COVID outbreak forced the Knights to scrap plans to stay at Tamworth's Farrer Agricultual High School, but the UNE facilities have been described as ideal.
At UNE, players have been allocated individual rooms that usually accommodate students. At Mount Keepit, the sleeping arrangements will be dormitory-style.
Meals are provided by in-house caterers. Down time, and social activities, have been factored into the schedule, and presumably a beer (in moderation) might be a reward at the end of each training week.
"It's very private. We'll lock ourselves away in our own little bubble," Knowles said.
"In amongst that, there are little conversations and connections that maybe you don't get in the normal week-to-week. We really take advantage of that. And the beauty of our crew is that the boys are really buying in. To see their energy and the vibe is pretty impressive."
For players with young families, like David Klemmer, who freely admits "I hate being away from my kids", it's a long time between cuddles.
"It's not easy on families, to be honest," Knowles said. "They make a lot of sacrifices to support what we're about."
Knowles hopes to return with a squad who are not only in peak physical condition but with the type of collective bond required to challenge for a premiership.
"We're definitely putting a lot of time into developing the culture," he said.
"There'll be a lot of time working out what it means to everyone."
