How a journey deep underground set Knights on path to NRL grand final

Given they finished last year with the wooden spoon, few expected the Knights to be playing in a grand final just 12 months after Holbrook’s arrival.

The coach, however, was always confident of what this team could achieve and carries that same belief into Sunday’s decider against the Roosters at a sold-out Accor Stadium.

From that first trip down the mine shaft, the Knights have slowly built a wave of fan support that will reach a crescendo this weekend.

More than 12,000 fans turned out for Wednesday’s open training session, thousands more will make the two-hour trip down the M1 to Accor Stadium and 25,000 supporters will pack into McDonald Jones Stadium to watch their team on the big screen.

It’s been impossible to avoid grand final fever across the Hunter throughout the past week, from the mines to the dairy farms and everywhere in between.

“Going down the mines was a real eye-opener,” forward Mat Croker, who grew up on a dairy farm, said. “We speak a lot about how this town has a mining culture and these blokes save up their money all week to come to a Knights game.

“Once we went down there, it drew a real connection for a lot of the boys. We’ve brought it up a fair bit this year. How we can make these people proud. These are people that have tougher lives than we’ve got as footy players.

“It’s our responsibility to make sure they have a good week by going out and performing well. A lot of them are having much better weeks now and I bet they are underground now talking about the grand final on Sunday.”

Beyond connecting with the community, the Knights have also made a concerted effort to rebuild their junior pathways.

Director of football Chris James was brought in with a mission to establish a pipeline between the region’s fertile nursery of juniors all the way through to the NRL team.

It’s a path Croker followed as a teenager, the Nabiac product captaining the Knights Harold Matthews and SG Ball teams as a teenager before progressing through Jersey Flegg, NSW Cup and eventually making his NRL debut in 2021.

For the past few years, however, Nabiac and the wider Taree region fell under the Bulldogs control. That has now changed, with large swaths of northern NSW back in the Knights hands.

The turnaround has been immediate. Newcastle’s under 17s took out the Harold Matthews Cup while the under 19s fell to the Roosters in the SG Ball grand final.

Croker recognises how fortunate he is to have spent his entire career in the Knights pathway and is confident the club is building a foundation for long-term success.

“Not a lot of people get to play for the one club,” Croker said. “I’m one of the lucky few who have got to be a junior that comes through.

“Especially with Newcastle because of how well they look after their own, it makes it extra special for me. I’m fortunate there’s a few others in the team who have come through the juniors as well.

“Phoenix Crossland, Bradman Best, Fletcher Sharpe and a few other guys. We’ve got a good group of blokes that know what it takes to play for this town.”

While Holbrook has placed a heavy emphasis on reconnecting with the community, the coach has also ensured the current squad has an understanding of the club’s past.

Most of the squad was not born in 1997 and many were too young to remember 2001. Those two titles, however, have been a constant source of inspiration throughout their charge to the grand final.

Buderus is on the Knights coaching staff. Paul Harragon, Andrew Johns and a host of others have been regular fixtures at training and the club’s HQ throughout the year.

Holbrook sat the squad down prior to last week’s preliminary final and showed them Newcastle’s win over the Bears in the 1997 grand final qualifier.

The key point of emphasis was Darren Albert’s try-saving tackle on Matt Sears. It’s no coincidence the Knights defended their way to victory over Penrith despite going down to 12 men late in the first half.

Rather than act as a source of pressure, as has been the case in the past, the club’s history has served to inspire the current squad.

“Growing up you always heard about Andrew Johns or Darren Albert’s try [in the 1997 grand final] but I never really understood what it meant to the town and what it did for the community,” 20-year-old prop, and Maitland junior, Cody Hopwood said.

“I was so young so I never had that feeling or realisation of what the Knights could bring to this region until now that I’m living it. I’ve felt the difference that this team can make to the community. It’s a special feeling and unbelievable to be part of.”

The past month has been a fairytale but it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the Knights this year.

Many thought their premiership hopes were dashed when Dylan Lucas and Dylan Brown went down in a one-point loss to the Roosters in Round 21.

Nearly three months on and the Knights continue to defy expectations. But still, few outside the Hunter give the side a chance against a star-studded Roosters side.

That is exactly where this team likes to be.

“There is a similar storyline around,” Croker said. “People have been doubting us this whole finals series.

“We’re going in underdogs again, there’s no dramas about that on our end. We’ll be ready.”

After 4 weeks of thrilling finals, it all comes down to this. One play can define a season. These are the moments that matter. Don't miss a second of the action with kick-off at 7.30pm Sunday night live on Nine, 9Now and Sky Sports NZ.