Newcastle great Andrew Johns has been approached by the Knights to take up a coaching role at the NRL club next season following the departure of Wayne Bennett.

Former Knights coach Rick Stone remains the frontrunner to take over the head coaching role for 2015, with Bennett to move back to Brisbane on a three-year deal.

However rugby league Immortal Johns, a two-time premiership winner with the Knights, and former NSW assistant coach, has been linked to an assistant’s role at Newcastle.

The former Knights skipper has had great success as a halves coach at premiership leaders Manly working with superstars halves Daly Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran.

Johns’ brother Matthew told his Triple M radio show on Sunday that Andrew could play a role in helping rebuild the Knights from 2015 and beyond.

“From what I understand, there has been an approach to structure their attacking, some of their attacking stuff but I don’t know if he’ll go,” Matthew Johns said.

Despite their woes this season, Newcastle boast one of the most potent halves combinations in the game in Jarrod Mullen and Tyrone Roberts who would undoubtedly benefit from Johns’ tutelage.

Johns’s role with the Knights could also help to lure players to the Hunter.