NRL 2023: How Adam O’Brien and the Knights turned discards into drawcards
The Newcastle Knights’ surge deep into the finals is one fuelled by a team of rival clubs’ castoffs and discards, writes FATIMA KDOUH and DEAN RITCHIE.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
If Newcastle is the steel city, the Knights are the recycling plant.
While superstar fullback Kalyn Ponga, flying winger Dominic Young and an elite forward pack are justifiably grabbing the headlines, Coach Adam O’Brien’s NRL finals campaign is being fuelled by a team of rival clubs’ castoffs and discards.
The Knights are riding a 10-game winning streak going into Saturday’s elimination semi-final against the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland.
Even without injured halfback Jackson Hastings, there are still six of Newcastle’s 17-man squad who have come to the Knights after being shown the door by their previous club.
Tyson Gamble
Contract: End of 2024
Knights career: 24 games
Former clubs: Wests Tigers 2018, 1 game; Brisbane Broncos 2020-22, 24 games
After Brisbane chose to back Ezra Mam as their preferred five-eighth, Gamble came to Newcastle this season and still had to fight for his spot amid Kalyn Ponga’s short-lived move to the halves.
“It was more of an opportunity thing,” Gamble said of his Broncos departure.
“Brisbane were going to go a different way with Ezra Mam and ‘Reyno’ (Adam Reynolds) and that sort of left me out of the team.
“I didn’t come down here thinking I’d automatically be in the team, I knew there was going to be a fight for jerseys.
“Obviously the Knights didn’t have a great year last year and there were a lot of players coming in so I really needed to knuckle down in the pre-season and put in some good performances through the trials to get a jersey.
“Adam (O‘Brien) just gave me the opportunity, he backed me. I think I needed to repay him by playing good footy. It’s a nice confidence boost when your coach picks and sticks and he keeps you in the team.
“There were probably a few games, in the middle part of the year, where he could have dropped me, I wasn’t defending very well. But he said he believed in me and that’s what got me through that tough period.”
Adam Elliott
Contract: End of 2025
Knights career: 2023, 18 games
Former clubs: Canterbury Bulldogs 2016-21 101 games; Canberra Raiders 2022 24 games
Elliot was let go from Canterbury following off-field incidents, but revived his career in Canberra last year. His switch to Newcastle in 2023 has been a success, where he has made the lock position his own.
Greg Marzhew
Contract: End of 2026
Knights career: 2023, 22 games
Former club: Gold Coast 2021-22, 25 games
An Eels junior, Marzhew joined the Knights this season from the Gold Coast after being involved in a player swap with Chris Randall.
While the attention has been on his towering English wing partner Young, Marzhew has enjoyed his own breakout season, scoring 21 tries so far.
“The environment that I have come into … definitely the boys have been so welcoming. To be able to come here, learn the processes, but also know there is a coach and players that have my back it has pushed me that extra mile,” Marzhew said.
Adam Clune
Contract: End of 2023
Knights career: 2022-23, 22 games
Former club: St George Illawarra Dragons 2020-21 25 games
Clune’s three appearances this season came in the final weeks of the season, stepping into Hastings’ halfback position, something he will do again against the Warriors.
“One thing that really stood out for me watching the Dragons from afar is that they actually won games when he came in and played,” Green said of Clune.
“There aren’t many halves that can come into a team and the team continues to win or the team performs better. You can come in and play a role for one or two games.
“But when you come in and they start talking about moving Ben Hunt to nine and keeping Adam at halfback, it says something about him.”
Kurt Mann
Contract: End of 2023
Knights career: 2019-23, 90 games
Former clubs: Melbourne Storm 2014-15, 28 games; St George Illawarra Dragons 2016-18, 60 games
He was granted an early release from the final year of his St George Illawarra contract to join Newcastle in 2018. Has been used almost exclusively off the bench in 2023, becoming the Knights’ Mr Fix-it.
Jack Hetherington
Contract: End of 2025
Knights career: 2023 26 games
Former clubs: Penrith Panthers 2018-20, 17 games; New Zealand Warriors 2020, 6 games; Canterbury Bulldogs 2021-22 20 games
Hetherington has had a stop-start career due to on-field discipline and injury. However, he has found his groove at Newcastle, playing in every Knights game this season and has provided a crucial role from the bench as part of an impressive forward pack.
Jackson Hastings
Contract: End of 2025
Knights career: 2023, 22 games
Former clubs: Sydney Roosters 2014-16, 34 games; Manly Sea Eagles 2017-18, 13 games
Signed by Michael Maguire at the Wests Tigers. There were suggestions he was unwanted after his relationship with coach Tim Sheens deteriorated and he joined Newcastle as prop David Klemmer headed in the other direction. While the Tigers have struggled with their halves combination, Hastings has been a crucial cog in the Knights’ success this season.
‘CHARIOTS’ OFFIAH IGNITED YOUNG’S TRY-SCORING BLITZ
When Martin Offiah reached out to countryman Dominic Young last year, the legendary English speedster had no idea it would help ignite the NRL career of the Newcastle winger.
With his blond-tip dreadlocks, towering frame and blistering pace, Young is the most charismatic English winger to hit Australian shores since ‘Chariots’ Offiah more than 30 years ago.
The sight of Knights fans rising to cheer home Young as he scorched down the right touch line to score two tries in their 30-28 elimination final win over Canberra conjured up memories of when Offiah first graced the hallowed ground of the Sydney Football Stadium for Eastern Suburbs back in 1989.
Despite Offiah retiring just three weeks after Young was born in 2001, the 22-year-old is well versed in Offiah’s illustrious career – one that spanned over 15 years, and 424 top-flight games for Widnes, Wigan, Eastern Suburbs, St George, London Broncos and Salford.
As it turns out, Offiah is as well versed in Young, who starred for England in last year’s World Cup, scoring nine tries in four games.
“After the World Cup the comparisons started to pop up between us. Offiah even reached out to me as well just to tell me I’m doing well and to keep up the good work,” Young said.
“Just to be likened to someone like him, everyone has seen what he is capable of, it’s a genuine honour.
“I had seen a lot of highlights growing up, he was damn pretty quick. I’ve seen clips of him leaving people for dead with his speed.
“It’s cool he got to showcase that over here as well for all the Aussies to see.
“He’s a legend over in England, so hearing from him really did give me a little confidence boost.”
DOM YOUNG IS TOO FAST ðŸƒâ€â™‚ï¸ðŸ’¨#NRLKnightsRaiderspic.twitter.com/fKcLZHNxAN
— NRL (@NRL) September 10, 2023
THE UK SPEED MACHINE
That boost has been the catalyst for Young’s best season since joining the NRL from Huddersfield as a 19-year old in 2021, earning him cult-figure status among the Knights faithful.
Young will be gunning to improve on his 25-try haul this year against New Zealand in Saturday’s elimination semi-final at Mt Smart Stadium.
Young will never catch Offiah’s incredible 446-try tally, but the stopwatch is another matter.
Offiah was known to run the 100m in sub-11 seconds, and Young is confident he could emulate that feat.
“I wasn’t a massive track guy when I was younger so I don’t know the exact time but I know I could easily clock under 11 seconds,” Young revealed.
“I’ve always been pretty fast growing up, so I’d back myself. I think everyone here (at Newcastle) would say I’m the fastest at the club.”
Dom Young's unbelievable put-down wins the fan-voted Try of the Week! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Gtm13cJ6Hm
— NRL (@NRL) September 4, 2023
CULT CONNECTION
Knights fans can thank another former winger cult hero, Akuila Uate, for selling the Knights’ dream to Young and helping deliver him to the Steel City as other NRL rivals circled.
“Yeah, Aku was like ‘100 per cent do it, join’,” Young said.
“I played with Aku when we were at Huddersfield together. I spent a season with him there. He had nothing but good words to say about the club. And he was right, I don’t think I could have picked a better club to come to.
“So to get that tag now as a cult figure too is pretty cool.”
Young made his English Super League debut at 17 with Huddersfield. He had only played two games for the Giants before agreeing to join the Knights in 2021.
“It was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down. I wasn’t even playing regular footy in the English Super League so it was pretty crazy,” Young said.
“I needed that change of scenery, I was comfortable in England. I’m the kind of person that needs to be pushed out of their comfort zone to get the best out of me.
“I took that leap of faith and I’m happy with the decision I have made.”
TEEN SCOUTING REPORT
NRL club scouts first identified Young when he was just 15. And while a professional rugby league career was always appeared destined for Young, he revealed just how close he came to switching to the 15-man game.
“I started coming on the radar of NRL clubs when I was 15, it was pretty weird,” Young said.
“You don’t expect people to look over here to be looking at you when you’re that young. I was actually close to switching codes that was on the cards. A lot of people back home thought I would be suited to union. I’d never played before but it’s a pretty big sport back in England.
“But as soon as I spoke to the Knights it felt like the right place.”
GROWING PAINS
Young didn’t have the smoothest of transitions into the NRL.
After a tough debut season in 2021, pundits were quick to add Young to the scrap heap of other English outside backs that struggled to excel in the NRL, like Sam Tomkins, Zak Hardaker, Joe Burgess and Oliver Gildart.
“It was a bit of an adjustment period coming over from England. I struggled a little bit in my first year learning everything,” Young said.
“There were a lot of things I wasn’t exposed to, even taught. There are so many coaches, everything is filmed … we’re not exposed to that in England and that’s when I realised there were little things in my game that I had to improve.
“My fitness probably wasn’t up to scratch. It takes time to learn all that. I learned a lot from the first year and last year I really attacked that season and now I feel pretty comfortable with where I’m at.”
THE ALEX McKINNON EFFECT
The man who helped recruit Young to the Knights, Alex McKinnon, also played a crucial role in rejuvenating his NRL career. McKinnon opened up his home to teenager when he first arrived from England.
With that support and a never-give-up attitude, Young was determined to prove his Australian doubters wrong.
“I don’t think I ever thought I wouldn’t make it, I always backed my ability,” Young said.
“I would not have come over here if I didn’t back my ability or think I could be a proper NRL player and be playing week in, week out.
“I always knew I could be where I am now.
“People doubted me after a few tough performances but I’ve always wanted to stick at it.”
ROCKING THE EASTERN SUBURBS
Next season Young will join Offiah’s old club, the Roosters.
Just like when he was a 15, Young had multiple clubs, including Newcastle, Canterbury, the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney in a tug of war over his signature.
Young even met with fellow Englishman Sam Burgess on the Gold Coast in January with the South Sydney great desperately trying to lure him to the Rabbitohs.
In the end, Young opted to swap one coastal town for the beaches of the eastern suburbs of Sydney on a lucrative four-year deal with the Bondi club.
“It was a pretty hard decision to be honest, a lot harder than what people think anyway,” Young said.
“It took me a long time to make a decision.
“I definitely love this club. But I had to look at the bigger picture and that was the decision I had come to.
“But I’m not done here yet. We hopefully still have a few more games to go for the Knights.”
Originally published as NRL 2023: How Adam O’Brien and the Knights turned discards into drawcards
Join the conversation
Gus’ ‘doctored’ claim ignites NRL conspiracy
The NRL Grand Final’s controversial no try scandal has taken a wild turn despite the game releasing the angle the decision was based on.
Read more
Kangaroos selection shocks: NRL legends’ Test careers appear over
Mal Meninga has dropped a major selection bombshell by overlooking both James Tedesco and Kalyn Ponga for Kangaroos selection, with the list of surprise omissions and debutants not ending there. See the full squad.
Read more