Newcastle Knights halfback Sandon Smith has revealed that an unexpected visit from club legend Andrew Johns helped inspire Friday night's 20-10 victory over the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The Knights produced an impressive performance with a depleted team to keep their finals campaign alive, overcoming the Rabbitohs in a physical contest that ultimately came down to Newcastle's desire to win.
But their preparations for the do-or-die clash received an unexpected boost when Johns turned up at the Knights' captain's run on Thursday.
The surprise appearance from the eighth Immortal caught several members of the squad off guard, with Smith admitting he had no idea Johns was going to be there.
“No, I didn't know he was coming,” Smith told Zero Tackle.
“When we ran out there on the pitch, I looked over, and Joey was there. He is such a massive figure in my eyes and the whole town's eyes, so to see him there and have a chat with him was great; he was just so stoked for us.
“I guess his role was just his presence; he has a bit of an aura about him, you know.
“When he comes in, you know things are starting to get real. I think he came to give us a bit of confidence and that we're ready to take on any problem, that we can strut in here and we can do it and believe in ourselves.”
Johns' influence was felt immediately, with the Knights coming out firing against South Sydney on Friday night.
Newcastle looked hungry from the opening exchanges and, despite lapses throughout the contest, never lost their desire to win as they secured a crucial 20-10 victory.
Smith played a major role in the result, producing two try assists while kicking for 321 metres as he and Fletcher Sharpe guided the Knights around the park and repeatedly exposed the Rabbitohs with overlaps.
Sharpe was also unaware Johns would make an appearance at the captain's run before the Immortal arrived on the field.
“No, I didn't know he was coming. We just went out for the captain's run, and he just came out on the field. It's always good having one of the greats of the game getting down the captain's run to give you a bit of a buzz," he told Zero Tackle after the win.
Sharpe was also able to spend time speaking with Johns before the game, with the Knights youngster revealing the message he received from one of the greatest players in rugby league history.
“Spoke to him at Captains; we just sat down, had a chat and spoke about everything. He just said he is excited to see us go out there and I hope we put on a performance that he would be proud of tonight,” Sharpe said.
The Knights certainly gave Johns something to be proud of, holding their nerve against a Rabbitohs side that continued to threaten throughout the contest.
There was also a significant Newcastle presence in the stands, with Smith revealing that 38 per cent of the tickets sold for the game had been purchased by Knights supporters.
“It's pretty surreal to come out here and see that all the Newcastle fans were around when we ran out for the warm-up, and the chants went up. I think we've seen 38% of the tickets sold tonight were from Newcastle, so to do it for them tonight is special," Smith said.
The victory now sets up a huge Week Two finals clash against the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland, with both teams seasons on the line.
Newcastle will need to carry the same hunger and belief into that contest, while another dose of Johns' famous big-game aura certainly wouldn't hurt.
If the eighth Immortal's surprise appearance helped spark Friday night's upset, the Knights may not be opposed to another visit before their next do-or-die assignment.
