Newcastle Knights
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| Club Information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Newcastle Rugby League Football Club |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Current Details | |
| Ground(s) | EnergyAustralia Stadium (26,126) |
| CEO(s) | Steve Burraston |
| Coach |  Brian Smith |
| Competition | National Rugby League |
| 2007 | National Rugby League, 15th |
| Records | |
| Premierships | 2 (1997, 2001) |
| Most Points | 2,176 - Andrew Johns |
The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, the Knights joined the top tier competition in 1988, 79 years after the previous Newcastle based team, the Newcastle Rebels had departed with the formation of a league competition based in the Newcastle region.
Contents |
[edit] History
 1988-1996 |
 1997-2000 |
 2001-2004 |
 2005-2007 |
 2008-present |
[edit] 1988-1996
The Newcastle Knights entered the NSW Rugby League competition in 1988 with Allan McMahon as coach.[1] The team was a success from the start, becoming one of the most popular clubs in its first season. By 1990, the team was strong enough to enter a play-off for fifth spot.
The club won their first competition, the Nissan Sevens, in 1991 and made the playoffs in 1992, where they were beaten by the St. George Dragons. The Knights made the semi-finals again in 1995 when the competition became the Australian Rugby League, and won the reserve grade premiership the same year.
The club stayed loyal to the Australian Rugby League when Rupert Murdoch started Super League in an attempt to win pay television rights to rugby league -- this decision was very popular in the Newcastle and Hunter Valley areas. News Limited formed the Hunter Mariners to compete with the Knights in the one and only season of Super League in Australia, but the Mariners failed to win much support in the area.
[edit] 1997-2003
From 1997-2003, the Knights made seven finals series in a row. The Knights won the 1997 Australian Rugby League premiership, defeating the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 22-16 in the Grand Final, with Robbie O'Davis winning the Clive Churchill Medal. The match is best remembered for its classic finish - Darren Albert breaking a 16 all deadlock with his try 7 seconds from fulltime. This win was a huge morale boost to the district following the closure of the area's biggest employer, the BHP Steelworks, being announced the same year. Seventy per cent of the winning squad were Newcastle juniors.
The following season, Knights players Robbie O'Davis, Wayne Richards and Adam MacDougall tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs; however, all three maintained they started use after the Knights 1997 victory. The three were suspended, despite O'Davis' claims the club was not notified his drug was banned until after his positive test, and MacDougall's medical reason for taking the steroids (his usage continued after he completed his suspension, now approved by the NRL). In addition, the Knights terminated Wayne Richards' contract.
In 1998, the Knights finished equal on competition points with the Brisbane Broncos, but finished second on points differential. The Knights came third in 2000, followed by a National Rugby League Premiership victory over the Parramatta Eels in 2001, with Andrew Johns winning the Clive Churchill Medal. Newcastle were handed heavy underdog status, but shocked the Eels with a 24-0 halftime lead, and eventual 30-24 win. In 2002, the club finished equal with the New Zealand Warriors on competition points but, once again, finished second in the minor premiership due to inferior points differential.
Andrew Johns won the Dally M Medal for best player in the National Rugby League twice in a row in 1998 and 1999, and won an unprecedented third Dally M Medal in 2002. In addition, Joey Johns also won the Provan-Summons Medal (the people's choice award for player of the year) four years in a row from 1998 to 2001 -- the best performance by any player in the history of the award.
[edit] 2004 to 2006
In 2004, injuries plagued the club, with Andrew Johns and Ben Kennedy out for extended periods of time. The club missed the finals, finishing 10th despite strong performances from Matthew Gidley, Kurt Gidley and NSW State of Origin captain, Danny Buderus.
Following further injuries and a lack of experienced players, the club failed to win a single match in the first half of the 2005 premiership, losing 13 consecutive matches -- the worst start to a season by any club since the 1960s. That losing streak finally came to an end with a win away from home over the Penrith Panthers in late June. In a tribute to the club's followers, crowds remained high throughout the losing streak, and while the Knights were unable to avoid finishing last, fans were rewarded for their stoicism as the team managed to win eight of their last eleven games, including a six game winning streak brought to an end in round 26 by the St George Illawarra Dragons.
2006 boded well for the Novocastrians, with the side recruiting Great Britain and Irish winger Brian Carney and former Raider Luke Davico, as well as re-signing 2005 recruit Milton Thaiday and managing to retain the many promising young juniors (led by the likes of Brad Tighe, Jarrod Mullen, Reegan Tanner, and Riley Brown) that have come through in the club's worst ever season. Newcastle ultimately finished the season in fourth position, a stunning reversal in form, but were eliminated from the finals after losing to the Brisbane Broncos.
Prior to the 2006 season kick-off it was announced that the club's longest serving coach, Michael Hagan would depart the club following the 2006 season to begin a three year contract with the Parramatta Eels. Ironically, during the week of the 2006 season-opening game against Parramatta, the Knights confirmed Parramatta coach Brian Smith would take over coaching duties in 2007.
[edit] 2007 - Post Andrew Johns era
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For more details on this topic, see Newcastle Knights 2007.
2007 was a year of turmoil for the club both on and off the field. After making a promising start to the season with victories over contenders such as the Canterbury Bulldogs - the club and rugby league world was rocked by the shock retirement of Andrew Johns. The departure of their captain and most influential player had an obvious effect on the team, and although they managed to stay in touch with the top eight until the last third of the season, their season was irreperably damaged by his absence. In addition to this - the Knights endured the worst injury toll in the 2007 season - fielding thirty seven players in first grade by season's end.
The club also struggled off-field, with Brian Smith's decision to release players such as Clint Newton, Kirk Reynoldson, and Josh Perry meeting with displeasure from the Sydney media and some sections of the Newcastle support base. Newton's defection to Melbourne and Reynoldson's threats of legal action over the club refusing to play him in the fifteen games required to trigger his fourth contract year saw the club's reputation dragged through the mud. The Daily Telegraph campaigned strongly for the sacking of Smith whilst Bluetongue owner John Singleton also threatened legal action after the releases lead to a multi-million dollar advertising campaign being cancelled. To cap it all off, Andrew Johns again made the press late in the season after being arrested for ecstacy possession in the United Kingdom and confessing to having been a drug addict for the entirety of his playing career.
Before the final round of 20019, Tab Sportsbet's Glenn Munsie was reported in The Daily Telegraph saying that the Knights were certainities for the wooden spoon and "it was pointless taking money on the wooden spoon gong given Newcastle would be firmly planted at the bottom of the ladder by the end of the weekend"[2]. Despite these pressures, the Knights managed to avoid a second wooden spoon in three years - offloading the dreaded piece of 'silverware' to the Penrith Panthers with a last round victory over the Wests Tigers.
[edit] 2008 Squad
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For more details on this topic, see Newcastle Knights 2007.
| Newcastle Knights 2008 Fulltime Squad | ||||||||||
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| Player | Position | DOB (Age) | Height | Weight | Junior Club | Previous Club(s) | ||||
| Chris Bailey | |
Five-eighth | 05/07/1982 (25) | 186cm | 94kg | Inverell Hawks | Nil | |||
| Danny Buderus | |
Hooker | 06/02/1978 (29) | 178cm | 91kg | Taree | Nil | |||
| Cameron Ciraldo | |
Second Row | 30/10/1984 (23) | 197cm | 102kg | Menai | Cronulla Sharks | |||
| Ben Cross | |
Prop | 06/12/1978 (29) | 190cm | 112kg | Batemans Bay | Canberra Raiders, Melbourne Storm | |||
| James Fuiava | |
5/8, Halfback | 29/07/1986 (21) | 175cm | 83kg | Port Macquarie Sharks | Nil | |||
| Richard Fa'aoso |  |
Prop | 08/05/1984 (23) | 186cm | 104kg | North Aspley | Penrith Panthers, Sydney Roosters, Parramatta Eels | |||
| Kurt Gidley | |
Fullback | 07/07/1982 (25) | 182cm | 87kg | Wests Newcastle | Nil | |||
| Matt Hilder | |
Utility | 30/04/1982 (25) | 186cm | 100kg | Cronulla Caringbah | Cronulla Sharks, Gold Coast Titans | |||
| Chris Houston | |
Second Row, Prop | 15/02/1985 (22) | 194cm | 105kg | Narooma | St George Illawarra Dragons | |||
| Marvin Karawana |  |
5/8, Lock | 30/07/1986 (21) | 180cm | 96kg | Wainui Lions | Canterbury Bulldogs | |||
| Jacob Ling | |
Second Row | 02/10/1987 (20) | 183cm | 102kg | Wests Newcastle | Nil | |||
| Keith Lulia | |
Centre, Wing | 17/06/1987 (20) | 190cm | 90kg | Port Kembla | St George Illawarra Dragons | |||
| Adam MacDougall | |
Centre, Wing | 08/05/1975 (32) | 183cm | 95kg | Harbord Diggers | Sydney Roosters, South Sydney | |||
| Luke MacDougall | |
Centre, Wing | 05/02/1982 (25) | 183cm | 94kg | Cronulla Caringbah | Cronulla Sharks, South Sydney Rabbitohs, St George Illawarra Dragons | |||
| James McManus |  |
Wing, Centre | 15/01/1986 (22) | 185cm | 90kg | Palmerston Raiders | Nil | |||
| Jarrod Mullen | |
5/8, Halfback | 09/04/1987 (20) | 179cm | 89kg | Taree Panthers, Wests Newcastle | Nil | |||
| Wes Naiqama |  |
Centre, Wing, Fullback | 19/10/1982 (25) | 184cm | 95kg | Arncliffe Scots | St George Illawarra Dragons | |||
| Tim Natusch | |
Prop | 03/07/1986 (21) | 182cm | 106kg | Wellington (NZ) | Nil | |||
| Cory Paterson | |
Second Row | 14/07/1987 (20) | 194cm | 108kg | South Perth Lions | Nil | |||
| Jesse Royal | |
Prop | 22/03/1980 (27) | 191cm | 107kg | Turangawaewae | Penrith Panthers | |||
| Mitchell Sargent | |
Prop | 02/07/1979 (28) | 187cm | 107kg | Canowindra | Melbourne Storm, North Queensland Cowboys | |||
| Junior Sau | ||||||||||
| Steve Simpson | |
Second Row | 27/09/1979 (28) | 187cm | 104kg | Singleton | Nil | |||
| Zeb Taia |  |
Lock, Second Row | 11/10/1984 (23) | 186cm | 104kg | Enfield Federals | Parramatta Eels | |||
| Mark Taufua | |
Second Row, Prop | 24/10/1981 | 189cm | 105kg | Woodberry Warriors | Nil | |||
| Lui Toimoana | |
Second Row | 14/09/1985 (22) | 193cm | 106kg | Mangere East Hawks | Auckland Lions | |||
| Daniel Tolar | |
Prop | 11/04/1982 (25) | 188cm | 100kg | Central Charlestown | Nil | |||
| Akuila Uate | |
Wing | 6/10/1987 | 185cm | 94kg | Woy Woy | Nil | |||
| Cooper Vuna | |
Wing | 05/07/1987 (20) | 182cm | 97kg | Otahuhu Leopards | New Zealand Warriors | |||
| Luke Walsh | |
Halfback | 12/05/1987 (20) | 174cm | 80kg | Wests Newcastle | Nil | |||
| Matthew White | |
Prop | 17/05/1984 (23) | 190cm | 112kg | Inverell Hawks | Nil | |||
| Danny Wicks | |
Prop | 05/12/1985 (22) | 190cm | 110kg | Grafton Ghosts | St George Illawarra Dragons | |||
| Tanu Wulf | |
Second Row | 18/05/1985 (22) | 195cm | 102kg | Tully Tigers | South Logan Magpies | |||
| Michael Young | |
Utility | 11/02/1984 (23) | 181cm | 99kg | Wangi Wangi Warriors | Nil | |||
[edit] Coaches
- Allan McMahon (1988-1991)
- David Waite (1991-1994)
- Malcolm Reilly (1995-1998)
- Warren Ryan (1999-2000)
- Michael Hagan (2001- 2006)
- Brian Smith (2007-)
[edit] First Grade captains
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[edit] Representative players (NSW & QLD)
Including representative players first selected and other notable players and the years they first achieved the honours if known.
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Australia
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New Zealand
Great Britain
Ireland
Samoa
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[edit] Knights team of the era
In August 2007 the Knights announced their team of 20 years. This team was:
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Coach - Mal Reilly
[edit] Famous supporters
- Jennifer Hawkins - 2004 Miss Universe, was a cheerleader for the club at one stage
- Kim Beazley - Former club patron, Former Federal Opposition Leader (Australia)
- Michael Costa - Current Club patron, NSW Treasurer and Minister for the Hunter (Australia)
- Jessica Mauboy - 2006 Australian Idol runner up
[edit] References
- ABC Australian Sports Almanac 2002
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Newcastle had previously been invited to field a team in the NSWRL competition for the 1982 season, but declined, worried it would weaken the area's local league competition. The Canberra Raiders were admitted to the 1982 competition in their place.
- ^ http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22329871-5001023,00.html
[edit] External links
- Newcastle Knights official website
- Newcastle Knights Archive
- Daily Telegraph - Newcastle Knights 2007 season feature
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