Newcastle Knights out to avoid breaking unwanted NRL records

A forgettable 2016 season will deliver back-to-back wooden spoons to the Knights. But how do they compare to the worst teams in rugby league history?

Trent Hodkinson and the Knights have endured a tough 2016 campaign.

DON’T worry Newcastle supporters, it could be worse.

Sure this has been a season to forget, but at least the Knights aren’t anywhere near the all-time losing record set by the now defunct University.

The students lost an astonishing 42 consecutive first-grade matches spanning three seasons from 1934-36.

The Knights, currently on a 17-match losing streak, would need to lose every game until round 26 next season to break this unwanted record.

Unfortunately for long suffering Newcastle fans, this is the only silver lining on a forgettable season that will deliver back-to-back wooden spoons to the proud Hunter club.

In Saturday afternoon’s season finale against St George Illawarra, the only thing the Knights are playing for — besides pride — is to avoid breaking some unwanted NRL records.

For starters, if Nathan Brown’s men don’t beat the Dragons they will take home the title for the most losses in a season (22) in the 1998 NRL era.

South Sydney dropped 21 matches in 2003 and 2006, as well as Wests in 1999.

The Knights are also starring down the barrel of their 350th loss in club history, dating back to the franchise’s inception in 1988.

On top of defeating the Dragons, Newcastle must score seven points to pass Wests’ 1999 record of 285 points, the least scored in a season in the NRL era. The Knights have currently scored 279 points this season.

This includes just 47 tries. Wests currently hold that unwanted record with just 52 in 1999.

There is no doubting Newcastle has struggled to score points this season, but they’ve also battled to stop them.

The Knights have conceded at 33.6 points per game this season.

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If they concede this against the Dragons they will finish the year on 805 conceded, which would be the fifth worst of all-time.

Only seven teams in premiership history have conceded more than 800 points in a season, with the Rabbitohs being the most recent in 2004 (812 in 24 games).

The Novocastrians have also conceded 20 points or more in 17 straight matches, now just one of two teams to have done so (Manly 18 in 2003-2004).

Newcastle join just three other teams who have lost 17 straight matches in a single season, Newtown (20 in 1977), Sydney Roosters (All 18 games in 1966) and Wests (18 in 1984).

In winning just one match thus far this season, the Knights have joined the 1993 Gold Coast Seagulls — the last side to register just one victory in a year.

Coincidently, the Seagulls’ sole win came against the Knights in round six — the same round in which the Novocastrians defeated the Tigers this season for their only win.

Newcastle will also be looking to rectify their disappointing away record in the final round against the Dragons.

The Knights have lost all 11 matches away from home this season, including 12 straight going back to 2015.

Eight of these 11 away losses have been by 18 points or more.

These statistics combined certainly don’t paint a pretty picture for Newcastle, who can’t wait for the curtain to fall on a forgettable 2016 season.

On the plus side though, the forced retirements of Kade Snowden and James McManus due to injury and the looming departure of Akuila Uate will free up over $1 million in the Knights’ salary cap.

This extra money will put Newcastle in a strong position to recruit quality players and rebuild the famous Hunter-based club.

Originally published as Newcastle Knights out to avoid breaking unwanted NRL records