Adam O'Brien has found himself yet more support to hold onto the top job at the Newcastle Knights in 2026.
The embattled coach has been rumoured to be out the door for a number of months now, and not for the first time in his coaching career at the Knights either.
O'Brien has previously survived on the back of his team making dramatic runs into the finals, but that won't happen in 2025, with a lack of attacking intent and a whole host of injuries preventing Newcastle from conjuring up anything of substance.
Resigned to a likely bottom-four finish with the hope of avoiding the wooden spoon, names like Josh Hannay and Blake Green have been floated to take over his post at the end of the campaign.
Working in O'Brien's favour is that he has two years to run on his current deal in the Hunter and would require an enormous payout to head for the exit turnstiles, but it was tipped at one stage that his position was virtually untenable.
Since then, he has received backing to continue in his role from new CEO Peter Parr, and now, speaking to The Newcastle Herald, club chairman Geoff Coburn has revealed O'Brien has his support too.
"It's been a really disappointing season for the club and our fans, but we came into this year knowing it was going to be very challenging with our roster and a lack of depth," Coburn told the publication.
"All the injuries, particularly to key players, have made it that much harder.
"Adam is a good coach - he's proven that here already, and I fully expect he will see out his contract. We haven't even spoken about his position."
The Knights, who have Dylan Brown arriving at the start of next year, are also in the midst of a major roster cleanout in what could be O'Brien's final roll of the dice to retain his spot.
The Hunter-based club, which lost Daniel Saifiti before the start of this year, have let a host of players go already, and will not offer new deals to Adam Elliott, Jackson Hastings and Jack Hetherington if reports are to be believed.
