It's reset time in the Hunter.
The Newcastle Knights come out of the 2025 season with the wooden spoon, and few ways to reset their squad in the coming years.
Adam O'Brien has been sacked, Justin Holbrook appointed, and the former Gold Coast Titans boss is going to be under enormous pressure to start making every post a winner from early in his tenure with the arrival of Dylan Brown.
The short to that though is it won't be that easy.
2025 was a trainwreck for the Knights. There is no other way of describing it, particularly in attack, where the halves situation was again a revolving door, the reliance on Kalyn Ponga too much, and the salary cap shot.
They get rid of some players at the end of 2025 that will help fix the salary cap situation, but there is also still an awful lot of work to do with this squad if they are going to become a competitive force in the NRL once again.
Current Newcastle Knights 2027 squad
Matt Arthur, Bradman Best, Dylan Brown, Mat Croker, Phoenix Crossland, Lachlan Crouch, Peter Hola, Cody Hopwood, Fletcher Hunt, Matthew Hunter, Asu Kepaoa, Dylan Lucas, Jermaine McEwen, Trey Mooney, Kalyn Ponga, Jacob Saifiti, Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana, Pasami Saulo, James Schiller, Fletcher Sharpe, Wil Sullivan, Dominic Young
Off-contract at the end of 2026
Taj Annan (club option), Thomas Cant, Jack Cogger, Wilson De Courcey, Tyson Frizell, Dane Gagai, Tyson Gamble, Brodie Jones, Greg Marzhew
Current best 17 for 2027
1. Kalyn Ponga
2. Asu Kepaoa
3. Bradman Best
4. James Schiller
5. Dominic Young
6. Fletcher Sharpe
7. Dylan Brown
8. Jacob Saifiti
9. Phoenix Crossland
10. Mat Croker
11. Dylan Lucas
12. Jermaine McEwen
13. Trey Mooney
Interchange
14. Matt Arthur
15. Pasami Saulo
16. Peter Hola
17. Cody Hopwood
Not in 17: Lachlan Crouch, Fletcher Hunt, Matthew Hunter, Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana, Wil Sullivan
The Knights already have a staggering 22 players locked in for 2027.
Given the big-money deals for Dylan Brown and Kalyn Ponga, they could well be looking to move some parts of their squad around before the end of this year in an effort to reshape things for 2027.
There is plenty of talk that Ponga could be the player moved on. That is talk that will not go anywhere unless the Knights turn around and win a number of games early in the season.
This far out, it's impossible to predict, but on paper, they look a team who will do very well to avoid the bottom reaches of the table once again.
Of course, that is going to be a big part of the early battle for new coach Justin Holbrook.
Whether Ponga moves or not, it doesn't open the need for a fullback, with Fletcher Sharpe then likely to shuffle to the back, or Fletcher Hunt take over.
Instead, the eight spots available to the Knights look as if they will be used for strengthening, particularly in the forwards, where right now, they look outclassed on paper, while spots on the wing and in the centre could also be up for grabs.
5. Option 5: Ata Mariota (Canberra Raiders)
The Knights head into this recruitment period with a number of young forwards already on their books, but still holding significant questions around who is going to kick on and reach their potential.
One player who is already well on his way to reaching that potential is Ata Mariota.
While the Raiders clearly have a big role marked for his future with the looming retirement of Josh Papalii, and potentially Joseph Tapine in the following years, they are yet to put pen to paper on a new deal beyond the end of 2026.
Even if the Knights do sign Lindsay Smith, a second signing in the middle with NRL experience could be an absolute must for the Hunter-based outfit, and Mariota would come at a price that won't break the bank, while providing far above that cost in terms of output.
He is the type of player you could absolutely build your future around, as the Raiders seem to be wanting to do.
If we get to November 1 though, given the skinny free agency market, there could well be a scramble for his services.
Did the person who wrote this watch any knights games this year? Have they seen the recruitment? They added Mooney, Saulo and Hola. While they could still use an elite middle they have reinforcements and depth. As for Leilua he would come at a cost that wouldn’t be as much value as developing the already impressive Mcewen. As for the backs don’t see how they need more? Ponga, Young, Best, Hunt, Sharpe, Marzhew, Schiller and the other young guys. If anything they need a backup 7 another top quality middle (unless Mooney kicks on to reach his potential) and they either need a 9 or a 13 depending on Crossland. Stone would be good even Donoghue if they can get him to break contract for a regular starting spot.