Though he’s about to embark on a three-year journey across the Tasman, departing Newcastle Knights back-rower Mitch Barnett says he’ll be returning to the Steel City one day regardless of how well things go in New Zealand.
Despite making his debut in Canberra, Barnett has become a mainstay at the Knights, playing all but two of his 128 NRL games north of Sydney. After winning two Danny Buderus Medals as the club’s Player of the Year, it’s clear that the Knights value his input as much as he values the team.
“I came here looking for an opportunity, back when the club was doing it tough,” Barnett told the Newcastle Herald.
“I thought I held my gloves up. I didn’t always play the best but I always tried my best. I always put a lot of effort into each game.”
That horror period saw Barnett win just one of his first 25 games for the club, during the horror run that saw the Knights lumped with three consecutive wooden spoons between 2015-17 – but the club managed to turn things around, eventually making back-to-back finals appearances in 2020-21.
That journey, and the community, have clearly left an imprint on Barnett. Though he’s excited for the next chapter in his career, he’s already certain he’ll return to the city, whether or not the Knights want him back one day.
“Obviously I’ve signed (with the Warriors) for three years and a lot will depend on how my family likes it over there. We might end up staying longer than that,” the 28-year-old said.
“But the plan is to move back to Newcastle eventually. We’d like to live here once I retire from footy.
“So if an opportunity comes up at the Knights down the track, I certainly wouldn’t rule it out.”
Barnett is just one of a number of new faces heading across the ditch, after the Warriors confirmed the departure of 15 squad members prior to the arrival of new coach Andrew Webster.
He’ll be joined by Te Maire Martin, Luke Metcalf, former Warrior Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Marata Niukore and Dylan Walker as the Warriors plot their return to the top half of the NRL table for the first time since 2018.
