Timana Tahu remembers what it felt like when Newcastle was consumed by the Knights.
Twenty-eight years ago, he was a young local watching on as the Knights prepared for the 1997 grand final. Six years later, he was running out alongside Andrew Johns in the 2001 decider, helping bring the Provan-Summons Trophy back up the M1 after Newcastle stunned the heavily favoured Parramatta Eels.
Now, with the Knights just one win away from another grand final, Tahu can feel the same buzz beginning to sweep through the Novocastrian community again.
Match Highlights: Knights v Eels
Newcastle entered the 2001 grand final as underdogs despite boasting a team stacked with representative stars, with Parramatta having lost just four games all season.
But the Knights defied the odds to claim a 30-24 victory and their second premiership.
“If you looked at the team, we had a lot of Australian and Origin players within the team but we were classed as the underdogs,” Tahu told NRL.com.
“Parramatta had lost four games out of the year and they made history beating their own records of the best attacking team.”
Match: Panthers v Knights
Finals Week 3 -
home Team
Panthers
1st Position
away Team
Knights
7th Position
Venue: Accor Stadium, Sydney
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
But inside the Knights camp, Tahu said there was belief they could pull off the upset.
“That whole week we felt like we were going to win. It was just a feeling,” he said.
“Then the town was painted red and blue. There were red and blue beers, red and blue bread, there were houses that were painted red and blue.
“The fans went crazy over it.
“We won it, got home at three o’clock in the morning and there were 20-30,000 people waiting at the ground for us.”
Twenty-five years later, Tahu sees similarities in the current Knights side.
Newcastle went from wooden spooners in 2025 to preliminary finalists this season, overcoming South Sydney and the Warriors in the opening two weeks of the finals to set up a clash with the Panthers.
Warriors v Knights - Finals Week 2, 2026
They have done it with the underdog tag firmly attached to them, something Tahu believes has helped Holbrook’s side play with freedom.
“It’s always good to be classed as the underdog because there’s not much heat or spotlight on you,” he said.
“Being called the underdog gives you that mindset of, ‘We can go and have a good crack at this’ and leave it on the field with no expectations.
“It’s been a long time coming and it’s been a while. These moments, you just don’t know whether it’s going to happen again. It’s like a wave.”
For Tahu, the Knights’ resurgence is about more than what has happened on the field.
He believes Holbrook has helped restore something that had been missing from the club, reconnecting the team with the culture and community that made Newcastle such a unique rugby league town.
Tahu knows Holbrook personally, having played alongside the former Knights halfback in 1998.
Holbrook confident despite underdogs tag
“I played with Justin in 1998. We played together. I debuted for South Sydney and he was the halfback and we played a lot of reserve grade,” Tahu said.
“Justin knows the DNA and the culture and the community of the town.
“When I heard he was coming back, I was like, ‘This is a no-brainer.’ It’s the piece in the puzzle that’s missing.
“He has brought that culture back, he has brought the community close to the club. The players look happy.”
That connection was something Tahu felt had been lost in recent years.
After Newcastle collected the wooden spoon last season, Tahu was involved with the club in an office role and saw firsthand how that rough patch affected everyone.
“It’s a special moment for the team because they got the wooden spoon,” he said.
“I was involved with the club doing some consulting and I felt like there was a lot of coldness and separation and they had lost their DNA and disconnection from the community.”
Holbrook’s arrival has helped change that.
From the opening-round win over North Queensland in Las Vegas to their run deep into the finals, Tahu believes the Knights have rediscovered a style and identity that suits them.
Knights v Cowboys – Round 1, 2026
“Newcastle are playing a game of football like we’re just going to go and have a crack and it comes off,” he said.
“I think Justin has really relaxed the team. Kalyn Ponga is back to his best, he’s so dangerous, and that back five, a lot of them have international representative experience.”
And once again, the people of Newcastle are getting behind their team.
Ticket data earlier this week showed Novocastrians had purchased 65% of tickets for Sunday's preliminary final at Accor Stadium, with thousands preparing to make the trip south.
Penrith fans have rallied in the past 48 hours and the Knights are eager for their supporters to hit back to ensure the ground is painted red and blue.
That support is part of what makes Newcastle different.
"In the past when the team has played poorly or has had a poor season, our fans still turn up, which is awesome for the town to be in this position," he said.
"The players are really going to feel the support and the love from all the fans.
"It brings an uplift of the town. It’s like a big city country town, it’s like a massive community."
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