Season Review: Newcastle Knights

Pre-season prediction: 15th

Actual finish: 16th

Knights 2025 Player Movements

Star player: Sione Mata’utia

This was really only a race in three, with Newcastle’s other top performers being their Queensland Origin representative Dane Gagai and cult hero Nathan Ross. Mata’utia gets the nod due to the impressive performances produced since moving into the second row.

The youngster’s development has been stunted since he debut for the Kangaroos, which despite only being two seasons ago, feels like an eternity.

His being shuffled throughout the backline, with occasional stints on the bench and in NSW cup thrown in, meant he was forced to adapt to too many roles too quickly.

He has found a home in the second row and remains a genuine positive in what was otherwise a horror season.

Season highlight: Round 6: 18-16 win vs Wests Tigers

Unfortunately for Knights fans, this was not difficult, as it was the club’s single win in 2016. A draw against eventual preliminary finalists the Raiders was the only other point earned outside of the bye rounds.

Although this game won’t be remembered by many, and will hardly go down as a classic, Knights fans will look back fondly at this game as being a display of what their side is capable of.

Dane Gagai was the star on the day, running for over 200 metres, while Jarrod Mullen showed signs of the form that saw him touted as a long-term NSW number seven, laying on two tries.

Outside of this one performance, and perhaps the game against the Raiders, the Knights only other highlight came in the stands, as despite horror results, their crowd numbers remained impressive.

Best signing: Jamie Buhrer

There are strong indications that Newcastle are far from done on the recruitment scene as they look to avoid a third straight wooden spoon, but in former Manly and Origin utility Jamie Buhrer, they have an astute signing.

Buhrer is not the kind of player, like say a Thurston or Tedesco, who will routinely rip opposition defences apart, but he is the kind of the player the Knights need going forward.

Despite being only being 26-year-old, Buhrer has over 120 first grade performances to his name, as well as Origin experience.

He was forced into a bit-part role at Manly but will become a major part of the Newcastle set-up next season, most likely in the second row, where he will partner the aforementioned Mata’utia.

The Positives

Newcastle’s younger players now have NRL experience under their belts: the likes of Brock Lamb, the Saifitis, Dylan Phythian and Corey Denniss made their NRL debuts this season, whilst the Mata’utia brothers now more experience to their names.

Big money players moved on: The likes of Uate and Sims were seen as major stars in the Hunter as recent as the start of this season, but neither performed anywhere near expectations. The retirements of Kade Snowden, Jeremy Smith and James McManus also free up cap space as the club looks to rebuild.

Jarrod Mullen showing signs: The former Origin halfback, at times in 2016, reminded us of the player expected to replace Andrew Johns for both Newcastle and NSW for the next decade. There is the talk of Mullen being moved on, possibly to England, but if Newcastle is any chance of playing finals footy in 2017, they need Mullen and halves partner Trent Hodkinson at full form.

Season Grading: F

I could line up all the positives in the world, but the fact remains this side only scored one win, and a draw, across the entire NRL season, claiming a second straight wooden spoon in the process.

Although they have signed smartly to this stage, the Knights really need a marquee player or two, if they are to fill their fans with any sort of confidence heading into 2017.

At times they showed genuine fight, including their round 26 effort against the Dragons, but those efforts were too few and far between. Floggings at the hands of the Sharks and Panthers are a more accurate reflection of their season than the aforementioned Dragons effort.

Newcastle’s problems are well documented and as strange as it sounds, I believe Nathan Brown is on the right track. He has moved on players who weren’t earning their big salaries, to be replaced by younger, seemingly hungrier players that look better value for money.

2016, as a stand-alone, was a disaster, even the Asada and injury-depleted Sharks of 2014 finished with four wins but may be looked back upon fondly in the future if Brown is given the time to fully implement the tough decisions the club needs right now.