Knights X-Factor: Ben Rogers

For those who don’t know, 23 year old Ben Rogers has found a home in Newcastle this year - his third club in two seasons.<br><br>Last year he spent time at South Sydney and the Dragons. This season he has landed in the Hunter Valley as the Knights' five-eighth, where he is keen to finally make a role his own and strike up a halves partnership with the impressive Jarrod Mullen.<br><br>Rogers, like Mullen, is capable of the sublime in rugby league. His behind-the-back pass for South Sydney in their Round 17, 2007 loss to Melbourne will go down in NRL history as one of the great try assists.<br><br><a href="http://bigpondvideo.com/NRL/38711">Watch it here.</a><br><br>It’s moves like this that can make Rogers so valuable if he performs consistently, something he is striving for at the Knights.<br><br>“My number one goal is to play some consistent footy and cement my spot in the number 6 jersey. There are guys here like Luke Walsh and Scott Dureau who are great halves and are capable of playing first grade. I need to start well early and get a good combination with Jarrod.”<br><br>Rogers is somewhat in awe of his halves partner who he credits with teaching him a lot this pre-season.<br><br>“My pre-season has been a little bit up and down. I had an arthroscope on my hip and then injured my foot in the trials.<br><br>“I’ve done a lot of work with Mullo. He has helped me out a fair bit and I’ve taken a lot on board from him. Some of the things he does with a football are amazing, freakish and he has such a great understanding of the game.”<br><br>Between the two of them they will need to sort out the Knights kicking game which has been lacking since the retirement of Andrew Johns.<br><br>Rogers thinks they are ready for the challenge.<br><br>“I think we’ll mix the kicking up from opposite sides of the ruck and play our opponents as best we can.”<br><br>With another new club comes another new coach and Rogers has been impressed with Brian Smith’s style.<br><br>“Brian’s unreal. He has had me focus on the little things and really go back to the basics of things like passing, making sure I get them right. The whole pre-season I have had a ball in my hands and everything we do we have a ball with us. It’s not just running, we run with a ball and I think it’s been beneficial.”<br><br>Time will tell if it has been. It will also tell if Rogers can finally settle into a consistent first grade spot at a club. If he does then a combination with Mullen could make them one of the most creative and attacking combos in the NRL.<br><br>