KNIGHTS coach Rick Stone believes former Queensland Origin enforcer Carl Webb would be a "good fit" for Newcastle next season who could provide their pack with an intimidatory edge.
Stone travelled to Sydney on Sunday and spent two hours with Webb, who is off contract at the end of the season and set to part company with the North Queensland Cowboys.
Stone said the Knights had not decided yet whether to table an offer to the 29-year-old, who has reportedly attracted interest from Parramatta, Penrith and English Super League clubs.
"I mainly went down to meet Carl Webb, because I'd never met him before, and try to find out what he's like and what motivates him and what he can bring to our footy club," Stone said.
"I think he'd be a good fit for Newcastle. Being a bit of a country boy, I think he'd have an affinity with the town, for sure. But I'm still working through the process and having a look at some videos to do a little bit of homework on him."
Stone said the Knights "probably need to make up our minds pretty quickly" if they should make an offer but admitted the prospect of unleashing Webb and confirmed signing Neville Costigan (Dragons) in tandem was an enticing one.
"That's an angle that attracts you, I suppose," he said.
"He's played a bit with Neville before and they're pretty tight mates, and between those two they could definitely bring a bit of an intimidation factor to your team. I think every team has to have a little bit of that, particularly in the forwards, and that probably attracts me a little bit."
A 180-game NRL veteran who has played 12 times for Queensland and a lone Test for Australia in 2008, Webb's main issue in recent years has been fitness - or lack thereof - but Stone said some players can benefit from a change of scenery.
"Generally with those sort of blokes, it [ability] is there, but it's a matter of whether they have the real desire and motivation to make it happen," he said.
Stone remained noncommittal about the future of veteran centre Adam MacDougall, who told The Newcastle Herald on Saturday night that he hoped to re-sign with the club, possibly as early as this week.
"Like I've said all along with Doogy, we're going to finish this season and sit down and talk about what's going on," he said.
The Knights will be without injured captain Kurt Gidley and fullback Shannon McDonnell for their last game of the season against Melbourne at AAMI Park on Sunday, and former Storm prop Ben Cross is in extreme doubt due to a broken hand.
Gidley sustained cartilage damage behind his kneecap midway through the second half of Newcastle's 26-18 loss to the Dragons at EnergyAustralia Stadium last Saturday night.
After consulting with knee specialist Tim Musgrove in Sydney yesterday, Gidley was booked in for arthroscopic surgery next Tuesday. The former NSW skipper is expected to recover in time to be available for Australia's Four Nations tournament against New Zealand, England and Papua New Guinea in Australia and New Zealand in October and November.
McDonnell aggravated a hamstring problem against the Dragons and Cross fractured the fourth metacarpus in his left hand but, with the off-season to recover, still hopes to play against his old club with the aid of a pain-killing injection.
Stone nominated Wes Naiqama and Scott Dureau as the probable replacements for McDonnell and Gidley respectively, and said Joel Edwards was on stand-by for Cross.
"Eddie [Edwards] probably deserves another go if Crossy's out," Stone said of the 22-year-old Cessnock junior, who made his NRL debut against the Eels at EAS on June 21 among four appearances this season.
"He's played a couple of good games in NSW Cup the last few weeks."
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