Working class man: Hastings hoping to rediscover tough roots

New recruit Jackson Hastings believes rediscovering Newcastle’s working-class roots could be the key to unlocking the club’s potential in 2023.

Sons and grandsons of coal miners, Newcastle legends Andrew Johns and Paul Harragon embodied the tough, hard-working attitude which carried the one-team town to their first premiership in 1997.

With long-suffering fans starved of success since Johns led the club to their last premiership in 2001, Hastings is adamant the new-look Knights can bring back the good old days to McDonald Jones Stadium.

“This town is working class, the players that came before us were working class… we need to find a way to get back to that,” Hastings told the Knights HQ podcast.

“I look at Joey (Andrew Johns) as a player that could do everything but when it was time to dig his heels in and get in the trenches. He led from the front. He bent his back and put backrowers on their backside.

“Everyone before us has been like that and I feel like we’ve got a group right now that resembles that, but we’ve got to go out and play like that.

The departure of Mitchell Pearce at the end of 2021 left the Knights lacking direction in attack and struggling to put points on the board with the club finishing bottom four with just two wins at home in 2022.

Entering the prime stage of his career, the 2019 Super League’s Man of Steel arrives at Newcastle as the key playmaker Adam O’Brien was missing last season and the former Wests Tiger understands the leadership void he needs to fill in 2023.

“My job in this team is easy. When I say easy, it’s obviously still hard to execute when the bright lights are on and you’re playing in front of a crowd but this is probably the simplest system that I’ve played in because of the quality I’ve got around me.

“We’ve got Bradman (Best) on one side, 'Gags' (Dane Gagai) or 'Maps' (Krystian Mapapalangi) on the other and then two powerful wingers.

"We've also got good backrowers and the forwards are training unbelievably.

“I just get in behind them, tell them where I want to go and do my first bit on that first layer and 'KP' does the rest, so I just try to be a strong voice, but a calm one at the same time.

“I just feel like if I can add my bit where needed in a footy knowledge sense where needed, it will help us going forward."

After the Wests Tigers offered him an opportunity to resurrect his NRL career, Hastings emerged as one of the best running halfbacks in 2022, averaging 128.5 metres per game and setting up six tries during his 11 appearances in the No. 7 jersey.

And with the signing of fullback Lachie Miller all but confirming Maroons star Kalyn Ponga's move to five-eighth, Hastings believes the new partnership could be key to bringing success back to Newcastle in 2023.

“‘KP’ (Ponga) is super talented. The game comes easy to him and he probably hasn’t had to think as much as he’s had to this preseason,” Hastings said.

“His football knowledge and his talking in meetings has improved immensely since I came here, I feel like he’s just got the confidence now.

“Working with him has been like clockwork. It’s really easy for me, I just pass him the ball and he does some mad goosestep.”

Since joining the club, the 26-year-old playmaker has also reunited with one of his biggest role models in former Knights No.7 and Newcastle legend Andrew Johns.

Hastings said the opportunity to work closely with the NRL Immortal was an exciting factor in his mid-contract player swap deal to join the Knights.

“I first met Joey (Johns) when I was 16 in an origin camp. Then I got to work with him at the Roosters when I was 17 and 18 and built a pretty good relationship and repour with him,” he said.

“When I found out I was going to be working with him again it was obviously exciting because he’s got his own ideas as a halfback.

“We’ve obviously got a great attack coach in Greeny (Blake Green) but having Joey over the top to specifically help with little keys that you can see in the defensive line.

"It's always a thrill to be coached by your idols and learn from them."