May 1, 2013, 11 p.m.
JARROD MULLEN
JARROD Mullen wants to be a Knight for life.
A veteran of 152 NRL games at the ripe old age of 26, Mullen is contracted until the end of next year but indicated yesterday that he wanted to spend the rest of his career in Newcastle.
Named in an English newspaper this week as one of several Knights players supposedly hawked to Super League club Salford this year, - Knights chief executive Matt Gidley has dismissed the report - Mullen said playing overseas was not on his radar.
"It's too cold over there [in England]. I'd go to the south of France," Mullen laughed.
"Nah, nothing there.
"I love Newcastle, I love the team and I've played my whole career here, so here's my priority."
■ Mullen and captain Kurt Gidley were among the senior Knights who caught up with former teammate David Seage on the Gold Coast on Sunday.
Seage watched Newcastle's 30-6 victory over the Titans at Skilled Park and spent the last few minutes sitting alongside Gidley near the Knights' bench.
A skilful but luckless fullback, 33-year-old Seage played four seasons at the Knights between 2004 and 2007 but was restricted to just 16 games due to a series of serious injuries, which included reconstructive surgery on both knees.
He tore his anterior cruciate ligament at Parramatta Stadium the same night Andrew Johns did likewise in 2004, then suffered the same injury to his other knee the night the Knights beat Manly in extra time in a qualifying final in Newcastle in 2006.
The Brisbane-born former Queensland Residents representative finished his career in 2011 as Wynnum Manly's all-time leading try-scorer (83) and second most-capped player (152 games), but his run of outs continued into retirement. The Seagulls went on to win the Queensland Cup without him that season and repeated as premiers last year.
■ Peter Corcoran will retain his place on the Knights Members Club board after he and members club chairman Nick Dan spoke yesterday and clarified the deadline for nominations.
One of the three incumbents, Corcoran did not nominate before the 4pm deadline last Thursday, but Dan said the constitution allowed for nominations up until 28 days before the annual general meeting, scheduled for May 30.
Dan, Corcoran and Allan McKeown were the only three nominees so they will retain their positions alongside the other two Newcastle Rugby League-appointed directors, Trevor Crow and Steve Doran.
■ Cowboys winger Kalifa Faifai Loa knows how Jarryd Hayne feels.
Faifai Loa was on the wrong end of a Joel Edwards special during the first half of North Queensland's 30-12 victory over the Raiders in Townsville on Saturday.
Edwards did a similar job ringing Hayne's bells in Newcastle's 8-6 victory over the Eels at Hunter Stadium two years ago.
Faifai Loa and Edwards were teammates in the Knights' SG Ball (under-18) team in 2008.
■ Former Knights prop Richie Fa'aoso is keeping a low profile as he serves his eight-game suspension for two spear tackles on Souths fullback Greg Inglis at Brookvale on Friday.
A gentle giant when he is not using his body as a battering ram on the field, Fa'aoso was filthy on himself for twice putting a player in a dangerous position.
Though he declined an interview request, as directed by Manly club management, Fa'aoso made it clear that neither tackle was intentional, and the journeyman prop plans to work on his tackling technique during his two-month enforced lay-off.
Fa'aoso, who turns 29 on Tuesday, has already served a one-game ban for a shoulder charge and is determined to stay out of the spotlight when he returns for the Sea Eagles against the Cowboys on July 15.
■ Tongan international Siuatonga Likiliki is clear to play against Canterbury in the NSW Cup game at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday after pleading guilty to a grade-one careless high tackle in Newcastle's 50-16 loss to Cronulla at Henson Park on Saturday.
Peter Mata'utia bagged a hat-trick against the unbeaten Sharks.
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