THE appointment of Rick Stone to replace Brian Smith as coach convinced ageless former international Adam MacDougall to line up for his 16th NRL campaign.
MacDougall, who made his first-grade debut for the Roosters during the Super League War-ravaged year of 1995, was undecided about his future when the Bulldogs eliminated the Knights in the first round of the finals six weeks ago.
But yesterday he agreed to honour the second year of his two-year Knights contract and continue playing next season, his 11th in Newcastle.
The 34-year-old former NSW and Australian winger told Knights strategic development manager Keith Onslow of his decision before flying to Las Vegas via the Gold Coast for an off-season holiday with wife and business partner Belinda.
MacDougall said he considered retiring to invest more time in their growing fitness equipment chain, Go-Fit Platinum, or scratching an itch and playing rugby union in Japan.
But his own health and good form and Newcastle's return to the finals under Stone convinced him he should keep playing.
"My wife just laughed when I told her, 'I think I might just play one more year.' She said I'll be the first 40-year-old playing in the NRL," joked MacDougall, the NRL's third oldest player this year behind Steve Price and Wendell Sailor.
"It was just a matter of whether or not I wanted to play. Once you get towards the back end of your career, you've got to make sure you feel that you can contribute to the side and that people in the organisation want you around . . . I was a good chance of going overseas and playing rugby just for a new challenge and something different, because I've been around the game for so long.
"But with Rick coming in as coach and the way we finished the year, everything was new and exciting again and the place really picked up.
"Obviously we were winning again and it was a lot happier, so that played a pivotal role.
"There was a slight culture change there and Rick really pushed hard for me to stay."
Having established a strong working relationship with the present coach during Stone's apprenticeship under Smith, MacDougall said he was not prepared to adapt to another boss.
"I'm not saying I wouldn't have played if Smithy was still here; it was more the unknown about who was going to come in and coach," he said.
"The decision to appoint Rick had a massive bearing for me, because if they would have brought in a coach from outside, I wouldn't have stayed. But Rick knows me, he understands me and I am a complicated person. I can be high maintenance and I can be difficult, as my wife can confirm."
MacDougall, who had three seasons at Souths (2004-06), has scored 83 tries in 172 games for the Knights and Rabbitohs in the past 13 seasons.
With an almost unchanged squad next season, he believed the Knights were capable of returning to the finals and challenging for the premiership.
Stone said MacDougall had provided "value for money" since returning to Newcastle as he had averaged almost 17 games a season for the past three years.
"He's really matured . . . He came back with the reputation of being quite a selfish player . . . but one thing in particular is he's really trying to help blokes around him," he said.
"He's using his experience and his wisdom and passing it on and setting some terrific standards in his work ethic.
"There's a bit of 'old school' still in Doogs, which is good. He calls a spade a spade and backs himself. He exudes confidence and that gives the young fellas confidence.
"When he talks, they believe in him. He says the right things, he's a leader and blokes want to follow him. "
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