Wes Naiqama has a contract with Penrith next year that the Knights will have to top up by 80k for the next two seasons - he actually gets a pay rise to move on - from 200k to 220k Aus$.
The Knights have also told Junior Sau that he is not wanted and will probably have to subsidise his next contract too.
Pete Mataútia is signed for next year on a small contract.
The rest of the backline in reserve grade - Kev Naiqama, Josh Mantellato, Suitonga Likiliki and Marvin Filipo - will all probably get offered a small second tier contract. If they can do better somewhere else, they probably will.

Josh Mantellato is a guy I'd look at if i were Sanders. He is a 6'5" fullback or winger who is the best goal kicker I've ever seen. He is on track to score 300 points in the reserve grade comp this season and at one stage he kicked 51 of 54 goals in a 5 game streak.
He is 23 I think and has never played in an NRL junior or senior squad.
He has represented NSW country for the last 3 years and was top point scorer in the Newcastle comp 3 years in a row.
He has also played for Italy for the last 2 off seasons, and his boot is the main reason Italy beat Lebanon to qualify for the World Cup.
He has apparently had offers from Italian RU sides but is keen to play in the WC.
He is a giant lump of a lad, but not as strong running as you would expect for a guy the size of Vatuvai. I think a proper professional off season would improve his strength and fitness out of sight. He came back from the world cup qualifiers as a 20 or 30% better player because he did some fulltime training.

Great win for the Knights this morning, winning in Auckland after being 18-0 down early on, Kevin Naiqama was outstanding.

Kevvy has done a long apprenticeship and looks right at home in firstgrade.
His contract for next year has probably doubled in the last two weeks.

So I guess were not signing him afterall

Definitely Kev, not Wes Naiqama?

Yeah, Wes has signed for Penrith. Kevins recent form has probably opened a lot more doors for him unfortunately. Don't think anybody has signed Junior Sau yet but we're not really looking for a centre now, unless we can get him to play on the wing.

Junior is a short and heavy guy who can't jump. He would be a real target on the wing.
He is a little tank who is very hard to stop one on one and he has scored a lot of tries by just barging over the line. Unfortunately, he won't pass the ball and has no vision to see when someone else is in a better position to give them the ball. Every player and coach in the NRL now knows that Junior won't pass, so all defenders just go for him when he gets the ball - no one hangs off on the winger because they know he won't get the ball.
Bennett spent the whole off season trying to teach Junior to pass with no luck, so Junior has to go.
In the ESL it might take a while for every player to work out he has to be tackled by 3 players every time, so he might smash some holes in some defenses - he still does in the NRL from time to time, and when he plays for NZ he still manages to smash over the line against Australia at times.

Most of this makes me think he'd be better on the wing. We don't have anybody at the back who carries the ball with real aggression & our kick returns & exit sets can be quite poor. A Matt Utai type who could make good ground early in a set would be a big asset imo.

Kev is a done deal guys. Relax and wait.

100% in Agreement Barnabus!