The Newcastle Knights hit the bottom again in 2026, and Adam O'Brien paid for it with his job.
That means the club is under new management with Justin Holbrook taking over the reins.
The Knights aren't expected to be an overnight success, but the arrival of Dylan Brown, who becomes the highest-paid player in the game, as well as others led by Trey Mooney and Sandon Smith, have some positive thoughts emanating out of the Hunter.
Whether they materialise though remains to be seen and could well be dictated in a way by how Holbrook picks his team.
Brown's position is still unclear, there are potentially too many cooks in the kitchen for the spine, and the forward pack is a little up in the air following the departure of Leo Thompson.
One of the NRL's more unstable teams, there is plenty to ponder in the Hunter ahead of kick-off in 2026, and the pre-season challenge could well give plenty of hints about the way they will ultimately take to the field.
Here are the key selection questions for the Knights in 2026.
Where do Sandon Smith, Phoenix Crossland and Fletcher Sharpe line up?
With Brown taking one of the halves spots - whether that be the six or seven - it leaves Smith, Crossland and Sharpe all working out other spots.
There is one spot in the halves, the hooker position, lock, and maybe a bench utility spot if they go elsewhere at 13.
Sharpe probably has to be in the halves. That's where he is reportedly training, and where he looked his best in 2025 before suffering a dramatic injury which left him hospitalised and out for the remainder of the year.
Crossland could play at either lock or hooker, while Smith could play at either hooker or the utility role off the bench.
With both in the starting team though, the Knights look stronger, so the suggestion is Crossland should play 13, Smith the nine, and Matt Arthur should be added to the bench as a hooking option.
There is no doubt that plenty is still up in the air for Holbrook and the Knights though just weeks out from the start of the campaign.
