NRL

It’s been a wildly successful NRL season for the Knights in 2026.

Win or lose next weekend, Newcastle has already made history just by reaching the 2026 NRL grand final after the ignominy of ‘winning’ the wooden spoon just 12 months ago.

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Not without a healthy dose of irony, only one side has ever done that before in the NRL era — and it happens to be their grand final opponents next Sunday, the Sydney Roosters.

In 2010 the Chooks surged all the way from the 2009 cellar to the NRL season decider only to lose 32-8 to the Wayne Bennett coached St. George Illawarra.

But now, after beating Penrith 22-14 despite being reduced to 12 men in a heroic preliminary final, Justin Holbrook’s side is just one more victory away from going one step further and setting a host of NRL and NSWRL firsts next Sunday night in the process.

1. First NRL premiers from outside the top four

Fourth-placed sides have won the competition on three occasions since 1998, most recently the Brisbane Broncos last year. But no NRL-era team has ever come from further back. In fact, even including NSWRL matches only the 1993 Broncos (fifth) and 1995 Bulldogs (sixth) have ever managed it.

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2. First seventh-placed NRL/NSWRL premiers in history

The Bulldogs hold the current mark, beating 1995 minor premiers Manly 17-4 in that year’s NSWRL decider at the old Sydney Football Stadium after finishing the regular season in sixth. This year’s Knights finished in seventh place.

3. First wooden spoon to premiership season in the NRL era

As mentioned, only one NRL team has ever made the grand final from last place a year later — and the 2010 Roosters lost. Casting a wider net to also include NSWRL matches, only team has succeeded in more than a century of first grade. The Western Suburbs Magpies went from last place in 1933 to premiers after beating Eastern Suburbs in the 1934 decider at the Sydney Sports Ground.

4. First title in 25 years

For all their passion and champion players over the years, the Knights haven’t lifted the NRL trophy since Andrew Johns’ side downed Parramatta way back in 2001. Only the Eels (40 years), Raiders (32 years) and Warriors (31 years) have had to wait longer.

5. First NRL premiership as head coach for Justin Holbrook

He was a Super League champion with St Helens in 2019, but if Holbrook can guide the Knights home next Sunday it would be his first premiership as an NRL head coach, against the club he only departed last off-season after serving for two years as an assistant to Trent Robinson at the Roosters.

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