TIRELESS Knights utility Matt Hilder will start the NRL season at hooker and Isaac De Gois or George Ndaira will support him off the bench against the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium on Saturday.
The 27-year-old journeyman has played mostly as a back-rower since arriving from the Titans two years ago, but he will have No.9 on his back against the Bulldogs as the Knights wait for regular rake De Gois to recover from an off-season knee reconstruction.
Coach Rick Stone hopes to make a decision on De Gois after a closed training session tonight, but irrespective of that, indicated Hilder would start then switch to the back row during the game.
"'Trouble' [Hilder] will slip back and play a bit of lock for us as well as hooker, so we'll carry a specialist hooker on the bench, I'd suggest, either Isaac or George Ndaira, considering the Doggies are coming through the middle," Stone said.
"We think we'll need some bodies and some energy in that area of the field, so that's something we'll have a good look at."
Hilder missed pre-season trials against Melbourne and Penrith to serve a suspension incurred for a dangerous throw against the Bulldogs in the qualifying final at Homebush on September 12 but had a run for the Central Coast Centurions in a NSW Cup trial nine days ago.
"Stoney told me a while ago that this would be what's probably going to happen so I'm getting ready for it," Hilder said.
"It's only a temporary thing. I've done it plenty of times before so I'm pretty comfortable with that."
Hilder switched to hooker when De Gois broke down in the opening minutes against the Bulldogs in last year's finals and made 61 tackles to earn the nod as players' player.
Stone suggested back-rower Zeb Taia, cleared to return after reconstructive shoulder surgery last October, would probably start on the bench to allow Mark Taufua to start at lock.
Centre Junior Sau (knee) will play, but bench prop Richie Fa'aoso (knee) still has to prove his fitness at training.
"We're pretty close. We've got a few little contentious points we've got to sort out in the next day or two, but overall we're pretty comfortable," Stone said.
"Zeb's definitely going to be in there somewhere after coming back from a shoulder reconstruction, which is good, and Isaac's a chance depending on how he goes in the next couple of days.
"Isaac's been building up gradually for probably a month now and he's close. Whether he's close enough for this week, only time will tell.
"I'm probably leaning towards Mark playing at lock and I think Zeb can play a role either on the edge, or in the middle playing lock as well, so he's got that flexibility there for us.
"Junior will definitely get selected but there's a decision we'll have to make with Richie, whether he's done enough work to be ready for selection. Obviously we'd love to see him there, because he's such a destructive type, so we'll have another look at him on Tuesday and make a decision then."
In the absence of injured skipper Kurt Gidley (knee), senior second-rower Steve Simpson has been confirmed as captain. Playmaker Jarrod Mullen led the Knights in their last two trials but Simpson missed both matches to serve a two-game suspension.
De Gois said he was touch and go about playing but would make the decision as soon as possible this week in consultation with Stone and the club's medical staff.
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