The life of an NRL coach is portrayed as a cut-throat occupation where they could get the punt at any given moment.
In reality, many of them are given too long to bring success to a club.
Knights coach Adam O’Brien is in the early stages of his fifth season at the helm.
They have a grand total of one playoff win in that time. And they were lucky to scrape by in that one on home soil against the eighth-placed Raiders last year.
The pain of three straight wooden spoons had been absorbed by the time he arrived at the club.
Newcastle’s lopsided roster had been rebuilt and reloaded during Nathan Brown’s tenure after the smash and grab stints of Wayne Bennett and their brief (but not brief enough) owner Nathan Tinkler.
Glass half full, you could say O’Brien has taken the Knights to the finals three of his four years and an overall success rate of 45% is not terrible.
But apart from the second half of last season when they surged from 14th to fifth in the closing eight rounds, the Knights have lacked identity.
They haven’t been tough like the famous Newcastle sides of the past or shown any flamboyance in attack.
Unfortunately for the NRL’s most devoted supporters who make up the one fan base who turns up in large numbers through thick and thin, they are perhaps only slightly closer to breaking their 23-year premiership drought than when O’Brien took over. And they’re still a long way away from being genuine title threats.
The Knights. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Apart from the Gold Coast des-aster, the Knights are rivalling South Sydney for being the NRL’s biggest disappointments from the first month of the season.
They were woeful on home turf to lose 28-12 to Canberra to kick off the season, they threw away victory over the Cowboys up north the following week with a comedy of handling errors down the stretch and then eked out an unconvincing two-point triumph over a severely weakened Storm side at McDonald Jones Stadium.
There was greater commitment last week in their 20-12 loss to the Warriors in Auckland but after talking up his team’s effort, O’Brien has again chopped and changed his halves.
Jackson Hastings, who was controversially punted after Round 2, is back at halfback with his replacement, Jack Cogger, transferred to five-eighth and Tyson Gamble paying the price for the Knights’ 1-3 record.
They also have English recruit Will Pryce finding his feet in the NSW Cup as a five-eighth option and the 21-year-old could be thrown into the NRL fray sooner rather than later if the Hastings-Cogger combination does not get the Knights firing.
The Roar League Podcast is on YouTube! Click here and subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode
Phoenix Crossland, who has made every post a winner at hooker during Jayden Brailey’s extended injury absences over the past couple of years, is another Knight who could be a playmaking option although he has seemed to lack the organising skills as a first receiver whenever he’s been slotted into the halves.
The old “competition for spots” theory is one of the most over-rated cliches in the NRL. It’s talked up every off-season by players and coaches alike as being good to have.
What the Knights would much prefer is a situation like Penrith where there is no competition for the spots in the halves but a clear hierarchy where there are two certain selections who hold themselves to a high account and set a standard that never puts their position in jeopardy.
Heading into Friday night’s clash with a St George Illawarra side which is Dr Jekyll one week and Mr Hyde the next, the Knights should be raging hot favourites but it would surprise very few NRL observers if the Dragons get up.
O’Brien was under the pump last season when his side was in wooden spoon range, just three points off the bottom, with a 5-1-9 record before Ponga’s purple patch propelled him to his first Dally M Medal and the Knights into fifth spot.
After just getting by the Raiders in their opening playoff, they went no further and unless the constant spinal adjustments give their team a backbone, you wouldn’t be putting money on them to be returning to the finals this season.
Which begs the question – why were Newcastle’s bigwigs in such a rush to re-sign O’Brien in the off-season?
Adam O’Brien. (Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)
He was off contract at the end of 2024 but they gave him a three-year extension in the off-season as a show of faith following the run to the finals.
Was any other club trying to poach him? Clearly not.
He didn’t deserve to get the punt after turning the team’s fortunes around and probably earned a one-year extension but a three-season deal was excessive based on an objective assessment of the situation.
As has been the case throughout O’Brien’s tenure, their chances rest on Ponga’s shoulders.
The star fullback has been ultra impressive again this season with four line breaks and a couple of try assists in the opening four rounds but opposition defensive lines know that they can target him without having to worry too much about any of their other main playmakers.
Dominic Young’s defection to the Roosters has hit the Knights hard in that he had the class, and blistering pace, to make the most of Ponga’s half-chances or any of the offerings that came from the halves.
Now they look like being stuck in the middle of the road yet again, possibly being in the finals, probably not, with a coach under contract for three more years after this one who has not yet been able to consistently prove that he can get this club heading in an upward trajectory.
dogs
Roar Rookie
Do you think the Knights have similar issues to the Raiders (and maybe the Cowboys too), namely young fellas would prefer to live in the bigger cities? Not saying it's a major issue, just that it's a factor which makes it harder to recruit a top quality roster. Anecdotally it seems that they both recuit from the UK more than other clubs.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Buzz? Yes
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
They did just re-sign him for the next 4 seasons though (3 year extension with this season left on the current deal). Certainly not advocating for 1 year deals but think it’s not knee jerk for clubs to be asking if the coach is taking them in the right direction and being willing to move on that if they aren’t after 2-3 seasons. We seem to have a situation where clubs either act far too swiftly, or leave coaches for years to not really progress their sides. Now I’ll probably be proven wrong but here but I think the knights were too quick to extend O’Brien. They came home strongly last year with Ponga’s return but the performance of the team without Ponga id be holding against him. If one player is such a difference I don’t think that’s a well coached side. To me your good players being available should be what makes to maximise your potential and no team will look their best without them, not what takes you from avoiding the spoon to being a finals team.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Agree, but I'm talking about last week's halfs both having an inability to kick the ball long similar to that reference made about Walker and his '30 meter 'clearance kicks'.. just reefing it hard and chasing to try and save the set... at least some of the time. No surprise the coach mentioned kicking in explaining the Hastings recall.
Gamechanger
Roar Rookie
Choppy is that really possible?
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
He's like a sleepier, slower version of Joe Biden
Phil
Roar Rookie
Rothfield, the former sail boat journo from Newcastle who became a RL expert.
The Barry
Roar Guru
There’s an article here about the Roosters kicking game Kicking comes off the back of go forward and the Knights have been ordinary there too…
London Panther
Roar Rookie
Somehow it will be Gus’ fault. He won’t come out and say it straight, because he is a coward, but he will heavily hint at it.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
The elderly Api can win the odd game by himself , sort of, but if the aim is to win a title it won't happen without some champion juniors emerging and sticking.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
It doesn't help when the Knights are starting their sets inside their own 20 meter, as you should, and their opponents starting from their own 40. Kicking is awful.
Panthers
Roar Rookie
I hear that the Knights as a club , have had a good look at what’s happened in their own area. They aren’t happy sharing the very best of their juniors with the Roosters & Bulldogs. Or with so many going to the Raiders. One of the best of their juniors recently signed for the Bulldogs. He lives within sight of the McDonald Jones Stadium. It’s here that the plan starts. To Win back the vast majority of their own junior players, by winning the hearts of them & their families. As good a place as any , to building up the clubs playing strength.
Panthers
Roar Rookie
Api isn’t that young . Won them the game against Cronulla, by himself.
Gamechanger
Roar Rookie
He will definitely have an opinion but actioning it can be another matter.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Yeah ok But you can’t just sign a coach to a series of one year deals and say “we’re just going to see if you’ve got us closer to a premiership” It’s not like they gave him a 10 year deal Also, it’s not solely the coaches role to get teams closer to the premiership. I don’t think there’s any suggestion that O’Brien has anything approaching a premiership roster… without KP they’re probably lucky to not be bottom 4
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Take Kayln out of the Knights, and it's a pretty sad state of affairs. Even with Kayln it's not exactly a great state of affairs. I think someone needs to ask Buzz Rothfield on 360 for his thoughts. Buzz will know what to do
Phil
Roar Rookie
You make some very good points especially the last paragraph. I too have fears of a diluted comp with extra teams. We have quite a few players now in the 'run-of-the-mill' category, work horses as you say.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Pack is up and down, it was good enough to beat the Storm's starting 6, you could argue they only got close in junk time off the back of Harry carrying them. Beaten in Golden Time by the Cows. Frizelle is still a scary beast, the crack when he broke Metcalf's leg last week and speed humping RTS were demonic. Scoreboard influencers Marzhew ,Thompson and Gagai didn't play last week, got beaten by a try and a penalty goal. To be frank they've always had a low top 8 expectation ceiling but once they get the 'reps' into Pryce (coaches are being justifiably patient here) and get him in next to Cogger, the points will come.
Bill
Roar Rookie
Is Gamble dropped or is O'Brien still just not settled on his spine? He gave Ponga nearly half a season at 6 last year which proved to be half a season too long. He's possibly just being less patient this year after that. Or maybe they're just treading water, living on the prayer that Ponga will save the day again
Gamechanger
Roar Rookie
Maybe Adam O’Brien’s accountant was getting a little nervous with the end of the financial year approaching.