It's the vibe: Smith proving ultimate role player for Knights

Whenever, whatever, wherever. 

That is how Sandon Smith has embraced his role at the Knights this season, helping turn the 2025 wooden-spooners into the surprise packets of the first five rounds. 

Knee injuries to Dylan Brown and Fletcher Sharpe have forced coach Justin Holbrook to juggle his playmakers from week to week, but the one constant has been Smith. 

The former Roosters utility, who followed Holbrook to Newcastle in the off-season, has played in all five games against the Cowboys, Sea Eagles, Warriors, Bulldogs and Raiders, helping the Knights register four wins. 

As he did the previous week in a 24-16 upset of the Bulldogs, Smith played a key role in Newcastle's 32-12 victory over 2025 minor premiers Canberra at McDonald Jones Stadium last Sunday. 

The 23-year-old Central Coast product kicked four goals from six attempts, had a try assist, ran 13 times for 88 metres and kicked 19 times for 439 metres. 

“I love all the boys, I love the club, and it’s been a really good start and a good vibe with Justin, the new staff, and all the new players. I’m really enjoying my football at the moment,” Smith told NRL.com.

“Whenever I go out there, whatever the position is, wherever Justin wants me to play, I just want to enjoy my football, and I’ve been doing that.” 

Smith came off the bench in Newcastle’s season-opening 28-18 victory over the Cowboys in Las Vegas, replacing the injured Sharpe at five-eighth after just 25 minutes. 

He started in that position alongside Brown in Newcastle’s next game, a 36-16 win against Manly, then started at half in their past three against the Warriors, Bulldogs and Raiders. 

Without Brown, and with Fletcher Hunt at fullback in place of injured captain Kalyn Ponga, Holbrook has handed the keys to Smith and Sharpe in the past two weeks and they have guided Newcastle to upset wins against two of the top four teams of 2025. 

“We’ve modified the way we want to play a little bit, but we still feel like we’ve got enough threats out there to win games of footy, and we’re doing that,” Holbrook said. 

“In our pre-season, I've said it a number of times, we had to move players around and Kalyn unfortunately didn’t do a lot of pre-season, so the guys got plenty of reps in there together, and they’re performing collectively really well. 

“Everyone’s doing their job, we need it to be that way, and we’ve put ourselves in a good spot to start the year.” 

That 'good spot' is in fact third on the ladder, one rung behind this week's opponent Wests Tigers, who are riding high after a golden point triumph in an Easter Monday classic against the Eels.

The last time the Tigers and Knights both sat in the top four well into a season was Round 17 in 2000, when Newcastle were second and the Tigers third.

With Andrew and Matthew Johns leading the way the Knights went on to finish third but the Tigers hit the wall, losing seven of their last nine to miss the finals.

Also running around in Knights colours in 2000 was one J.Holbrook, filling in at halfback for the eighth Immortal in two games late in the season.

Some 26 years later and Holbrook finds himself back in the Hunter as head coach after his stint at the Roosters as an assistant.

“Justin knows me really well, having been with me for a few years now, so he knows what gets me going,” Smith explained. 

“He tells me to back myself, go out and play footy, enjoy myself, and that’s when I feel like I play my best footy. Not too much structure – just back myself and enjoy my footy.

“Everyone’s really buying in. We have a pretty simple game plan each week and everyone has a role and they’re sticking to the detail and really going after it.

“When everyone plays their role, we’re a really connected team at the moment, which makes us a hard team to beat.”