Newcastle Knights 2016 NRL season preview and other top stories.

• Newcastle Knights 2016 NRL season preview

  

  After claiming the wooden spoon in 2015, the Newcastle Knights will be looking to turn things around in the upcoming season with a new coach arriving at the club. One of the few shining lights heading into the club’s 2016 campaign is the recruitment of State of Origin halfback Trent Hodkinson, who will replace Tyrone Roberts to partner Jarrod Mullen in the halves. Fans of the struggling franchise will be hoping that Hodkinson can help lift them off the bottom of the ladder alongside new mentor ..

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• University of Newcastle main round offers made to 4000 students

  

  University of Newcastle main round offers made to 4,000 students Updated January 21, 2016 09:49:22 More than 4,000 students have received main round offers to study at the University of Newcastle for 2016.Main round offers were released last night to 4,136 prospective students, taking the total number of offers made this year to 8,399.Deputy vice-chancellor Professor Andrew Parfitt said demand for programs at the university increased to more than 10,000 first preference..

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• Newcastle student brings slippery snakes to life through illustrations

  

  Newcastle student brings slippery snakes to life through illustrations Updated January 20, 2016 13:31:42 Under the scorching summer sun, the radiating heat is a lure for snakes to come slithering out into the open for a spot of sunbaking.While many people fear the reptiles, a woman from Newcastle passionately thinks otherwise.Teresa Purnell's interest in snakes has lead her down many paths — from working as a snake catcher, to now studying a PhD in natural history illus..

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• Staying on the fringe

  

  Newcastle is staging its first Fringe Festival - a mix of music, comedy, dance, acrobatics and theatre - and it will be running for 10 days from the end of January. THE inaugural Newcastle Fringe Festival has something for everyone, with a wide variety of comedy and musical acts, plus dance, circus, theatre and children’s shows.A total of 30 events will be staged at five venues in the Newcastle CBD over the 10 days of the festival from January 28 to February 6 and there’s an inter..

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• Floods raise motorists' ire

  

  The NRMA has described the $500,000 allocated for drainage works at Industrial Drive, Tighes Hill as a drop in the bucket compared to what it required to fix the chronic flooding hot spot. Floodwater: Drivers negotiate the flooded section of Industrial Drive at Tighes Hill during recent heavy rains. Drainage works are planned for the area. Picture: Marina Neil The NRMA has described the $500,000 allocated for drainage works at Industrial Drive, Tighes Hill as a drop in the bucket ..

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• Uate set to show his true colours

  

  Revitalised Aku poised to provide the X-factor for Knights HARD YARDS: Akuila Uate has trained tirelessly during the pre-season.KNIGHTS winger Akuila Uate appears primed to bounce back from two lean years after one of the best pre-season preparations of his career.Having battled a knee injury in 2014 and 2015, there were rumours at the end of last season that Knights officials were keen to offload the Fijian flyer if another club had been willing to take him on. But Newcastle coac..

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• Raise the Road

  

  The NRMA has described the $500,000 allocated for drainage works at Industrial Drive, Tighes Hill as a drop in the bucket compared to what it required to fix the chronic flooding hot spot. Floodwater: Drivers negotiate the flooded section of Industrial Drive at Tighes Hill during recent heavy rains. Drainage works are planned for the area. Picture: Marina Neil The NRMA has described the $500,000 allocated for drainage works at Industrial Drive, Tighes Hill as a drop in the bucket ..

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• Coalition MP Bob Baldwin says he remains loyal to Liberals

  

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• Guilty over highway crash

  

  Prosecutors drop more serious charge as mine worker admits to her role in death of grandfather Stan Watson. CRASH SCENE: Stan Watson was killed when his utility (right) and the four-wheel drive being driven by Orla Trickey collided on the New England Highway west of Singleton on September 10, 2014. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers.A WOMAN has admitted to her role in the road death of Upper Hunter “local celebrity” Stan Watson, prompting prosecutors to withdrew a more serious charge.Orla ..

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• Nursing still most popular study option

  

  Professor Andrew Parfitt, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), the University of Newcastle.NURSING has remained the most popular course at the University of Newcastle’s Ourimbah campus in the main-round offers to students on Wednesday.Ranked among the university’s top five best-performing programs, nursing accounted for the highest proportion of the 1383 Ourimbah course offers from the University Admissions Centre (Professor Andrew Parfit, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Newcastle University.“Ov..

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Port Stephens council backs plan to fight Newcastle merger .	plan to merge Newcastle and Port Stephens councils is 'sour grapes ... .
Blaze destroys toy warehouse near Newcastle .	A-League preview: Newcastle Jets v Wellington Phoenix .