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.
Who partners Dylan Lucas in the second-row?
The second-row looks a little shorter in options this year for the Knights following Kai Pearce-Paul's move to the Wests Tigers.
Rising star Dylan Lucas is still at the club and will almost certainly lock down one side of the park, but who runs out on the other is up in the air.
Brodie Jones has split his time between the second-row and middle in recent times, but experience could sway Justin Holbrook into handing him the starting spot.
The other options are young gun Jermaine McEwen, who had a very solid first season in the top grade, and Thomas Cant, who has also impressed whether at second-row or centre.
