Newcastle fans desert Knights after week form hell
Old Boys Day is supposed to be a celebration in Newcastle. But the Knights were left in no doubt of the fans’ seething frustration as the club’s attendance hit rock bottom on Saturday afternoon.
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Nathan Brown was not the only one missing in Newcastle on Saturday.
After last week’s sacking of their coach and subsequent 46-4 flogging from West Tigers that saw their team slammed as soft, the most loyal supporter army in rugby league was nowhere to be seen.
Knights fans reacted to the latest crisis to engulf their club with only 8274 turning out to watch Newcastle attempt to save their season — their lowest crowd since 1997 and fourth worst in their history.
A solitary family sat on the McDonald’s Jones Stadium hill in a sad sight.
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On what was supposed to be a day of celebration for the club with Newcastle’s greatest players honoured as part of Old Boys Day, Mitchell Pearce and Kalyn Ponga were greeted by empty seats and stands.
The silence was deafening.
Not even Danny Buderus could blame bad weather, with the club legend admitting infighting, a sacked coach and a performance Andrew Johns slammed as “weak’’ had combined to turn fans off.
“I have no doubt the fans are upset,’’ club legend Buderus said.
“It has been a tough week for them and I am sure (those events) have contributed.’’
The Newcastle no-show should be a major concern for the club that famously averaged a crowd of more than 15,000 people in 2017 when they crashed to the wooden spoon. Not even coming last in both 2015 and 2016 could keep the fans away as the limped their way to a third consecutive spoon.
Driving rain and dark skies no doubt contributed to the worst Newcastle crowd in 22 years. So did the words of Johns with Newcastle’s favourite son accusing his former club of “sabotage’’ after alleged infighting cost Brown his job.
“It’s no coincidence that this hammering happened on the back of what happened during the week,” he said.
“The way it’s been handled, is really confusing and disappointing.
“The politics which has gone on behind the scenes — you hear whispers of what’s going on and you’ve gotta shake your head. But what’s happened now is that it gives people with a weak mind an excuse not to turn up.’’
The ground formerly known as Marathon Stadium was not completely empty.
Among the fans that braved the weather and the controversy for the clash against the Gold Coast were some of the club’s greatest warriors.
Newcastle legends such as Mark Sargent, Tony Butterfield and Michael Hagan were among more than 100 former Knights at the clash to mark “old boys’’ day.
“I have been a disappointed observer,’’ Sargent said after the 38-4 win over the Titans, the competition’s bottom team.
“The season hasn’t finished the way I would have liked. The message is for them to stick their heads down and their bums up and play some rugby league.
“Everyone asks me what they have to do to get back to that ethos of the club from the early days.
“I am no footy coach but it is simple to me. They need to get back to “d’’. It all starts with defence and that is what we were always good at.
“That is where we have lost our way a little bit. The club needs to have a focus on defence as the rebuild and turning this place back into a fortress.
“It needs to once again become the place nobody wants to come to. People used to fear this place and we need that back.’’
The Sunday Telegraph can reveal another “old boy’’ was brought to Newcastle in the lead-up to the clash by caretaker coach Kristian Woolf.
“I was lucky enough to be invited to address the team earlier in the week,’’ said dual premiership-winning Knight Billy Peden.
“I told them I bled for the place and that is what they need to do.’’
Peden used stories of the past in attempt to inspire the Knights after the week of controversy.
“I told them about the old boys and what they mean,’’ Peden said.
“About all the tough people that have been at this club. There are a few of them in the new team that haven’t been here before and this is there first year.
“It was a good opportunity to tell them about the history.
“They have heard a fair bit about that performance from everyone. We all have bad performances here and there and it can’t become the norm. I think they are all aware of that. It is about what happens now and moving forward, not back.
“That sort of thing can’t happen again. I looked into the eyes of the boys and I saw a bit of steel.’’
Dean Smith, 39, had been a Knights fans since day one. The Kurri Kurri resident braved the weather to watch on as the Knights kept their season alive by flogging the Titans.
“I attend every game rain, hail or shine,’’ Smith said.
“Regardless of what is going on we show up. This is the town’s club and we will rise again. We can see that it is hurting the boys too and they are playing for a bit of pride.
“Nothing will keep us down and the club will always bounce back.’’
Originally published as Newcastle fans desert Knights after week form hell