Knights' Fairytale Season: From Laughing Stock to Preliminary Final

Newcastle Knights' journey to the preliminary final is a testament to the club's long-held vision and dedication to nurturing local talent. The team's inaugural coach, Allan McMahon, laid out his blueprint for success in a 1987 newspaper column, emphasizing the importance of recruiting players with a strong work ethic and a desire to win.

"Our guidelines for recruiting players are that the major part of their football be in front of them," McMahon decreed. "[Players] will have an in-built desire to win as well as strength, tackling ability, and speed."

McMahon's vision has come to life in players like Phoenix Crossland, who has embodied the club's values and risen through the ranks to become a key player. "It's hard to put into words what this club means to me and the whole team," Crossland said.

The 26-year-old half-turned-hooker, sourced from the Erina Eagles, has been crafted through the club's pathways and unleashed into top-flight footy in 2019. "We can do something special here; we just need to focus," he said. "I've always been inspired and motivated to play for this club and to do my best for them and the fans."

Crossland said coach Justin Holbrook gave him a simple to-do list at the start of the season: "[He said] all you need to do, and make sure you're the best in the comp at it, is tackling, defending and turning up for your team."

The Knights' director of football, Chris James, echoed Crossland's sentiments, highlighting the team's belief in their ability to overcome any obstacle. "There's a belief that whatever's thrown our way, we can overcome it," James said. "I reckon you can sense that, for these players, no opposition scares them, no situation in a game scares them."

James, a former NRL referee, joined Newcastle from the Roosters at the start of last season. "A lot of the reasons that Allan McMahon put in that article is why I came here," he said. He added that the coaching staff has been driving the players' hunger for success by asking them to consider their "why" and how it relates to representing the town and region.

The team's young and hungry squad, including players like Fletcher Sharpe and Cody Hopwood, has been fueled by a desire to represent their community and make them proud. "We've enjoyed putting a bit of pressure on ourselves this year to go out there and represent the town and the community, and make them a part of the team," Sharpe said.

As the Knights prepare to face the Penrith Panthers in the preliminary final, they will be looking to continue their fairytale season and prove their doubters wrong. Despite the challenge ahead, the team's players are warranted in asking: "Who's laughing now?"