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.
Does Trey Mooney's arrival drop Tyson Frizell to the bench?
One of the more intriguing storylines at the Knights in 2025 was following the move of Tyson Frizell into the middle third of the park.
A long-term second-rower, and former representative player on the edge at that, Frizell's ball-running and leg drive saw him work into the middle third on a more permanent basis as the year went on.
It's difficult to see that changing this year, although the second-row is a little shorter without Kai Pearce-Paul at the club after his move to the Wests Tigers.
With the suggestion Phoenix Crossland could be the lock, and Jacob Saifiti in one prop spot, it could well be down to Mooney and Frizell for the other prop starting spot, with the other coming from the bench.
The Knights have, if you listen to most, overpaid for Mooney, although his potential is outstanding. It's likely the Raiders has been signed to start, so Frizell could well add much-needed experience from the bench through the middle of games in 2026.
