{"id":438716,"date":"2026-05-21T18:18:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T18:18:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/438716\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T18:18:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T18:18:11","slug":"exclusive-nsw-bolter-opens-up-on-how-holbrook-has-changed-the-knights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/438716\/","title":{"rendered":"EXCLUSIVE: NSW bolter opens up on how Holbrook has changed the Knights"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dylan Lucas’ rapid rise from Newcastle second rower to State of Origin<\/a> debutant has been fuelled by consistency, confidence and a fresh belief under new Knights coach Justin Holbrook<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 25-year-old has emerged as one of the biggest bolters in Laurie Daley’s NSW squad for Game I, named as the 20th man despite playing just over 50 NRL<\/a> games.<\/p>\n

While there is no guarantee he takes the field next Wednesday night, Lucas is still among seven debutants brought into camp as part of Daley’s fresh-look Blues<\/a> era.<\/p>\n

For the Newcastle back-rower, the call-up capped off a whirlwind start to 2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a very special feeling, a little bit surreal to be honest,\u201d Lucas told Zero Tackle.<\/p>\n

\u201cA little bit nervous, super excited and just pumped to be here. Just super grateful to be here with all these class players.\u201d<\/p>\n

After debuting for the Knights in 2023, Lucas has steadily developed into one of the club’s most reliable forwards, but this season has taken his game to another level.<\/p>\n

Despite Newcastle winning just six matches across the entire 2025 season, they have already surpassed that tally this year following the arrival of Holbrook, who took over after Adam O’Brien’s departure.<\/p>\n

Lucas has become one of the biggest beneficiaries of the coaching change, while veteran prop Jacob Saifiti<\/a> also earned a shock recall to Daley’s squad in another example of Newcastle players thriving under the new coach.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The second-rower has played every game bar two this season due to a throat injury, regularly producing full 80-minute performances on the edge.<\/p>\n

He has averaged 120 running metres per game, made 323 tackles at an efficiency of 96.7 per cent, while also crossing for four tries, including a double in Round 9.<\/p>\n

Lucas believes Holbrook’s approach has helped unlock a new level in his game.<\/p>\n

\u201cJustin has been really good for us as a club, as you can see in the results, and a lot of boys are playing their best footy under him,\u201d he told Zero Tackle.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe really just promotes you being yourself, playing your style of footy, and what works for you. Creating game plans and stuff to allow me to play my best footy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s been a really fun year, I think you can see that when you watch us play. All the boys are enjoying playing their footy at the moment, and it definitely helps when you are winning games too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Lucas enters camp as one of the newer faces, he is already relishing the chance to learn from some of the game’s elite.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are some classy back rowers here. You’ve got Hudson and Haumole here and just blokes like Teddy, who I grew up watching, being able to pick their brains,\u201d Lucas said on who he is excited to learn from in camp.<\/p>\n

One player Lucas will know better than most in camp is Queensland fullback Kalyn Ponga<\/a>, with the Knights teammates now set to become Origin rivals.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe (Kalyn Ponga<\/a>) was actually with me when I got that call. We haven’t spoken about it too much, but if he’s got that QLD jersey on now, then it doesn’t matter,” Lucas said about a new Origin rivalry with his Newcastle teammate.<\/p>\n

Whether Lucas runs out for the Blues<\/a> or not next Wednesday night, his selection is another sign that Newcastle’s resurgence under Holbrook is beginning to produce representative-level rewards.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dylan Lucas’ rapid rise from Newcastle second rower to State of Origin debutant has been fuelled by consistency,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":438717,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[111,139,69,213],"class_list":["post-438716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=438716"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438716\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/438717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=438716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=438716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=438716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}