Newcastle will make a decision after their final training session on Saturday whether Kurt Gidley lines up in their NRL clash against Manly at Brookvale Oval on Sunday.

Gidley completed most of the Knights' run on Friday and seemed to pull up okay, but officials aren't taking any risks and will assess him on the eve of the match.

The captain missed the club's last-start win over North Queensland and earlier this week appeared in significant doubt to face the Sea Eagles.

Knights workhorse Matt Hilder said while Gidley's place in the team is still unknown, in-form halfback Jarrod Mullen will play despite a sternum injury he picked up against the Cowboys.

"We trained well today. Kurt trained most of the session but I'm not too sure what they're going to do with him, whether they'll rest him or run the risk of playing him," said Hilder.

"I think they're going to sleep on it and work it out tomorrow.

"I think Jarrod's fine. They didn't do too much contact work but I think he'll be right to play, he'll wear a pad or have a pain killing injection or something like that."

Renovations to Ausgrid Stadium have seen the Knights open the season with three straight away games.

They're already two from two and Hilder said a perfect record leading into their first home game against St George Illawarra next week is the aim.

"From the get go in the off-season we knew we had these away games and the coaches have been into us the whole off-season about it," he said.

"We'll welcome the challenge and there's been a few other hurdles that's been thrown at us with a few injuries to key players but we've recovered and it'll be another tough task on the weekend for sure."

Voted the Knights' players' player and player of the year in 2010, Hilder is determined to perform well at hooker with Isaac De Gois sidelined for at least a month with a thumb injury.

"I'm pretty comfortable there anyway. I'd much rather play lock forward but it's about the team and I'll definitely put my hand up to play hooker," he said.

"I am pretty proud of getting those awards, I haven't won anything like that before in my career.

"I've been to a few clubs and I think Newcastle suits me the best and that's a pretty big reason why the players voted for me in the players' player awards because what I bring to the table they respect.

"I'm happy to go on with that."

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