FROM rugby league outcast to Kangaroos tour contender – that is the road to salvation Knights workhorse Chris Houston has travelled in the space of 12 months.
Houston was yesterday added to Australia’s Four Nations train-on squad, along with teammates Kurt Gidley, Akuila Uate and Neville Costigan.
The preliminary squad, which is updated weekly during the finals to include players whose teams have been eliminated, already tallies 38.
It will be reduced to 24 on October 3 for the end-of-season Test against New Zealand in Newcastle on October 16 and the Four Nations tournament that follows.
Houston is a long way from being a sure-fire selection but to even be considered highlights his remarkable career resurrection.
On the cusp of representative honours two years ago, the 26-year-old did not play last season after standing himself down to fight a well-documented legal battle.
Charges of supplying drugs were ultimately dismissed due to lack of evidence at a committal hearing in December, and despite criticism from some quarters the Knights moved quickly to re-sign Houston.
The rangy utility forward wasted no time in repaying their faith.
He did not miss a game this season, made more tackles (883) than any Newcastle players, averaged 72.3 minutes per game, represented Country Origin and is the short-priced favourite to collect the Knights’ player-of-the-year award at their annual presentation function tonight.
Knights coach Rick Stone said Houston, who also made the Kangaroos’ train-on squad in 2009, would not look out of place in the green and gold.
‘‘Between now and the end of the season, you’d think there would be a couple of players ruled out,’’ Stone said.
‘‘Houston is the type of player who could definitely have the flexibility to play front row, second row or even lock in any team he played in.’’
Stone said Houston’s form this season reminded everyone that he was ‘‘massively important’’ to Newcastle’s on-field performances.
‘‘He’s played every game for us, and in a lot of those games he’s played 80 minutes,’’ Stone said.
‘‘It’s a credit to his durability, his work rate and what he gets through in a game and how valuable he is to the team . . . he’s fought back well and is probably playing as well as ever.’’
Knights skipper Kurt Gidley said the national selectors would ‘‘know what they’re going to get’’ if they chose Houston.
‘‘He’s not going to let you down,’’ Gidley said.
‘‘He’s got a good work ethic, Houso, and he’s a bloke who gives everything on the field.’’
If Houston would be considered a bolter for the squad, Gidley and Uate appear certainties.
Costigan would seem at long odds after an injury-affected season, but he might be considered for the Prime Ministers XIII, who will play the Kumuls in his native Papua New Guinea, on Sunday, September 25.
The Kangaroos train-on squad will assemble at Redfern Oval on Thursday for a conditioning session.
Houston declined to comment yesterday.
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