Now the 19-year-old looks an odds-on favourite to push his claims for the key position long-term ahead of the likes of Will Pearsall, Jack Cogger and Jaelen Feeney.

Lamb, though, was trying to stay focused on the day-to-day competition for places just hours before news broke of Mullen’s provisional NRL suspension from a positive A-sample for banned anabolic steroid Drostanolone.

“To be honest, I don’t really look at that,” Lamb said of speculation about him starting at five-eighth in round one away against the Warriors on March 5.

“I just try to focus every day and take every day as it comes. We all just push each other every day and that’s going to make us better for the future.

“I haven’t really thought about anything like starting, or where I’m going to play or what grade. I’m just taking each day as it comes.”

With Rory Kostjasyn in doubt for the early rounds with a throat injury and Mullen shaping as a back-up hooker option, Lamb was expected to slot in at No.6 before Tuesday’s news.

Now the door has seemingly swung wide open for the former Australian Schoolboys star. Lamb, though, was taking nothing for granted on Tuesday.

“There’s always opportunities,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of competition at the moment and I think the more competition there is, the harder we train in the halves and that area, and it pushes each other to become better. And I think that’s only going to help the team.

“We haven’t really done too much positional work.

“All the halves have been in there – Mullo, Hodko, me, all the young guys, so we’ve all been in there training, and we’re all pushing each other.”

Lamb provided rare highlights for the Knights in his three appearances in 2016 before succumbing to injuries. He has been back in full training since the new year after recovering from ankle and shoulder surgeries. 

Before the Mullen ban, the future of Korbin Sims was the main news item involving the Knights. Sims is reportedly eyeing a move to Brisbane for this season and Rugby League Week claimed on Tuesday that South Sydney were also keen on signing the prop. If Sims leaves, he will join Aku Uate and Jake Mamo as players released this off-season as coach Nathan Brown rebuilds the back-to-back wooden spooners. 

Jamie Buhrer, Joe Wardle, Ken Sio, Kostjasyn, Jacob Gagan and Josh Starling are recent additions.

Despite the roster changes and uncertainty, Lamb said Knights players remained focused and united.

“Where we’re at at the moment, I think we’re fine,” Lamb said. 

“I think we’re really close as a group. Jamie Buhrer, for example, said the other day how close we are as a group. He hasn’t really experienced that before. 

“I think it’s because we’re all around the same age, and if the boys are a little bit older, they look after us.

“We’re really tight as a group, which is helping us, I think. 

“The people who have gone, they helped us and they were good to the club. Now they’ve moved on and we’re focused on us and what we need to do.

“There’s a massive excitement factor there for this season. We’re all pushing each other and I think being all around the same age is gelling us together and we’re actually all performing at training really well.”