How the Knights are built for long-term success just 12 months after horror show season

Even the most rusted-on Knights fans couldn’t have foreseen this scenario.

12 months after a season from hell, the Newcastle Knights are two wins away from a grand final.

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The turnaround is stunning.

Yes, a new coach was put in place, but this team didn’t undergo any sort of roster facelift between seasons.

In fact, from the 13 named to start this weekend’s semi against the Warriors, only one player (Sandon Smith) is a new addition in 2026.

What’s more, the club’s prized $13 million recruit has been sidelined for the majority of the season.

It’s clear that the Knights were not happy campers during the back end of last season under former coach Adam O’Brien when losing nine in a row en route to the unwanted wooden spoon.

A circuit-breaker was required.

Despite the hire of new coach Justin Holbrook, there still didn’t appear to be much hope around the Knights though.

Bookies installed Newcastle upwards of $67 odds to win the comp and they were a popular pick to finish outside the eight.

But Holbrook and the Knights didn’t listen to the doubters. They started the season fast and never really faded away, more or less spending the entire season inside the top eight.

It didn’t seem the case this time last year, but the Knights always had the roster to make some noise. The underperforming group just needed a fresh start.

Strike centre Bradman Best played his way back into an Origin jersey. Dylan Lucas enjoyed a breakout season and earned a maiden Blues jumper.

They’re only two examples.

After a disappointing 2025 campaign, Greg Marzhew bounced back to be one of the league’s top tryscorers while opposite winger Dom Young is playing some of the best footy of his career.

Holbrook deserves his flowers, there’s no doubt about that. However, the seeds of success were planted before he arrived in town.

Ahead of Newcastle’s must-win final against the Warriors, foxsports.com.au dives into how and why the Knights’ roster is built to succeed.

THE MASTERMIND

When it comes to recruiting, there’s arguably no bigger CV in the game than that of Peter O’Sullivan.

Remarkably, O’Sullivan has his fingerprints all over the make up of the rosters of four teams in the NRL, all of which are in the finals (Knights, Dolphins, Warriors, Roosters).

As CODE Sports noted in a profile piece on O’Sullivan earlier in the week, the gun recruiting manager is responsible for helping sign 42 current players across those four rosters.

He’s currently at the Knights, where he’s been since mid-2024.

His stop prior? The Dolphins, where he helped Wayne Bennett build a team from the ground up. A team that is now playing in a prelim final in just their fourth year of existence.

Since joining the Knights, O’Sullivan has had a major role in adding a handful of experienced and young talent to the club.

That list includes exciting back rower Francis Manuleleua, versatile young gun Fletcher Hunt, 20-year-old forward Cody Hopwood, prop Trey Mooney from the Raiders and winger Dom Young back from the Roosters.

Sandon Smith was another astute, under-the-radar signing. Smith has been one of Newcastle’s most important players this season.

Expected to spend the year coming off the bench behind $13 million recruit Dylan Brown and superstar local junior Fletcher Sharpe, Smith has appeared in 22 games, starting in all but three.

The Brown signing was arguably one of O’Sullivan’s most controversial given the price and length of the deal (10 years, $13 million).

The jury is still out on the decision to make such a massive commitment to the NZ international as Brown suffered a season-ending injury in Round 21 … although the early returns were solid enough.

Club legend Andrew Johns believes O’Sullivan deserves much of the credit for the Knights’ turnaround.

In a column for the SMH, Johns says O’Sullivan helped “turnover an underperforming roster quicker than anyone expected”.

“Credit is due to so many people. But for me, recruitment manager Peter O’Sullivan deserves the biggest rap. His achievements across more than 20 years as a talent scout speak for themselves,” Johns wrote.

“Sully’s calling card has always been his eye for young talent before anyone else has identified it, or landing the best schoolboy stars before anyone else can.

“I could sit here all day naming his greatest hits. At Melbourne, he found Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Greg Inglis. At the Roosters, it was Latrell Mitchell, Boyd Cordner (both out of Newcastle’s traditional catchment) and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

“He helped build the Warriors’ line-up with guys such as Leka Halasima and Ali Leiataua, and at the Dolphins he built their inaugural roster – so that’s everyone from Isaiya Katoa to Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Herbie Farnworth.

“Since arriving at Newcastle last year, O’Sullivan obviously took a big punt on Dylan Brown with his 10-year deal and brought Dom Young back from the Roosters.

“He also signed Sandon Smith and front-rower Trey Mooney.

“Sully’s contribution is huge. He knows what winning looks like and his track record speaks for itself.”

Former Knights star Alex McKinnon, who works in the club’s pathways, also credits the work O’Sullivan

“I think it’s a combination of things (behind the Knights’ success). I don’t think it’s one thing in particular,” McKinnon told foxsports.com.au.

“(Director of Football) Chris James and (CEO) Peter Parr run a really astute and professional program which is then complemented by Peter O’Sullivan’s ability to identify talent and play above value.

“It’s what we’re seeing from the likes of Sandon Smith and those back rowers at the moment, but I think the majority of players are playing above their value.”

THE CAPTAIN

While O’Sullivan’s contribution has been so important, it’s a player he didn’t recruit who is the heartbeat and barometer for what the Knights do. Fullback and captain Kalyn Ponga.

There were rumblings in the off-season that Ponga wanted out with a team like the Roosters circling.

The addition of Holbrook seemed to quell those rumours with the pair reportedly hitting it off immediately, but it was obvious that the Knights needed to start the Holbrook era well to ensure the fullback’s future at the club.

“There was no greater sign of his maturation and belief in Holbrook than halfway through this season because like it or not, we sat here on the desk for the last two years discussing Kalyn Ponga’s future,” CODE Sports journalist Dave Riccio said on NRL360.

“Within three months of Justin Holbrook being there, Kalyn puts his flag in the ground and says, ‘I’m here and I’m staying’ … it was a huge sign of belief in the coach and I reckon that filters down straight through the playing group. That gives them confidence and belief that the leader is sticking around.”

When on song, Ponga is without question a top three player in the comp. The miraculous run of form in 2024 to take the Knights to the finals and snare a Dally M medal proves that.

Ponga can do it all. He can act as a third half or ballplayer, taking pressure off Sharpe and Smith to create.

But against Souths in the first elimination final, Ponga shot the Bunnies to pieces with his legs.

He ran for 243 metres, two line breaks and had a whopping 15 tackle busts in the 20-10 win.

NRL legend Cooper Cronk believes Ponga’s game has matured in 2026 and says the fullback is in career-best form at the moment.

“He’s the total package now. He’s playing better football than when he won the Dally M. He is the absolute leader and the person they need at the Newcastle Knights,” Cronk told foxsports.com.au.

“He’s evolved to the point that he is in total control of his game, but he’s also driving the expectations of the team.

“Kalyn’s been brilliant this year. His role as the captain, his form at fullback and he’s been their best player this year so he’s ticked every box.

In 2024, the Knights were probably guilty of being too reliant on Ponga and ultimately, they didn’t have enough juice behind him to pile on the points

With Sharpe, Smith, Manuleleua, Best and Gagai all in terrific form, that’s not the case two years later.

YOUNG TALENT TIME

Five years ago, Johns and his brother Matty were scathing of the state of club’s pathways.

The pair lamented the lack of junior talent emerging from the Greater Newcastle area.

“I’ve seen half a dozen young blokes in the last 10-12 years earmarked, they’re telling me they’re going to be superstars. Suddenly they get just within cooee of first-grade and they just can’t take the next step,” Matty Johns said on SEN radio in 2021.

Andrew added: “Newcastle has not produced a half, five eighth or a dummy half for 20 years.”

“What does that tell you? The junior system is broken.”

It took a couple more years, but Joey’s prayers have been answered.

Fletcher Sharpe has enjoyed an electric start to his NRL career and many good judges believe he’ll be playing Origin in the next year. He’s already experienced Blues camp as a shadow player.

Sharpe has proven he could be Newcastle’s five-eighth for the next ten years alongside Dylan Brown but he can play anywhere in the backline.

The Maitland product is a deadset gamebreaker. In 49 games, he’s scored 34 tries.

He’s nearly as important a piece as Ponga. If Sharpe has had a strong game this season, the Knights rarely lose. In fact, 11 of his 12 tries this year have come in wins.

Another local product come good is Fletcher Hunt, who hails from Cessnock.

Hunt has been used as cover at wing and centre this season but with Dane Gagai leaving at season’s end, the kid from Cessnock is expected to slot into the starting backline from 2027.

Back rower Dylan Lucas is another recent success.

Although he played his junior footy in Woolongong, the Knights spotted Lucas early, poaching him as an 18-year-old.

They were patient with him. Lucas progressed through the grades before finally making his NRL debut as a 22-year-old.

Three years later, he’s a Blues rep and considered one of the game’s best edge forwards.

He’s one of several gun back rowers at the club.

With Lucas sidelined with an ankle injury, it’s presented the opportunity for young Manuleleua and Jermaine McEwen to impress.

They’ve done that, Manulelua in particular.

No player in the league has increased their stock more than Manulelua has in the back half of the season.

He’s been a revelation since replacing Lucas in the starting line up in Round 20.

Lucas is an outside hope of returning this weekend so Manulelua will be tasked with the starting role again. Granted, he’ll have to be better against the Warriors than he was in the Souths clash, but he has the capabilities to cause some havoc against a powerhouse pack.

A RESURGENT VETERAN

It’d be remiss not to mention Dane Gagai.

The Knights have a super young core who hopefully, will be in Newcastle for several years to come.

One player that won’t be there beyond this season though is Gagai.

Gagai is Brisbane-bound in 2027, where he’ll likely finish his career.

But regardless of what happens at Eden Park on Sunday, Gagai deserves a lot of credit for helping lift the Knights out of the doldrums.

The 35-year-old has helped set the standards this season, and has been an outstanding influence on this Knights group.

He’s turned back the clock and has played some of his best footy at stages this season.

He won the battle against the dangerous Latrell Mitchell last weekend, a result that went a long way towards Newcastle’s win.

“I think anyone that is playing at a really high level in their you know mid to late 30s, they’ve definitely found the right balance with football and life but also the professionalism,” Cronk said about his former Maroons teammate.

“You can’t do what Dane’s doing without being mentally and physically prepared every week. They’re prepared within an inch of their life every game and when you do those things during the week, the game on the weekend becomes pretty straightforward.

“It looks like he’s been dialled right in this season. He’s been a great contributor to the Newcastle jersey over a long period of time and I think the example of him going after Latrell Mitchell and getting a points decision easily, it just goes to show how much he cares about Newcastle and season 2026.”

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