From rock bottom to a grand final: what’s behind the Newcastle Knights’ incredible rise?

The Newcastle Knights are on the precipice of one of Australian sport’s most memorable turnarounds.

Following an extraordinary preliminary final win over the Penrith Panthers (who won four of the past five titles), the Knights could become the first team since 1934 to win a premiership the year after finishing last.

Simply reaching the decider is a stunning achievement. The Knights trailed the Panthers 14-6 at halftime and were a player down following the send-off of Phoenix Crossland in the 36th minute. Yet they scored three unanswered second-half tries to win 22-14.

They are only the second team in the NRL era to reach the grand final the season after finishing last.

There is also a neat historical symmetry to Sunday’s grand final. Newcastle will face the Sydney Roosters – the last team to make the same journey from wooden spooners to grand finalists, in 2010.

Huge changes, on and off the field

Turnarounds of this magnitude are often attributed to a new coach or marquee recruit. However, Newcastle’s transformation demonstrates something much deeper: how quickly on-field performance can change when multiple elements of an organisation begin pulling in the same direction.

The appointment of Justin Holbrook as head coach is an obvious place to start but it does not tell the full story. Successful organisational change rarely comes down to changing one person.

The club’s broader organisational changes at the end of 2025 brought in Peter Parr as CEO, Chris James as director of football and a new coaching and performance team. In a short period there were significant changes throughout leadership, football operations, coaching and recruitment.

Holbrook didn’t just recruit new assistant coaches – he moved in with them. In a share house in Merewether, Holbrook and two of his new assistants, Brett White and Steve Hales, spent endless hours building relationships and developing their collective coaching philosophy. The trio had never worked together before.

As Holbrook explained:

we were together every day, would come home from work and go out and have dinner. We were always communicating and connecting. It was a really enjoyable time.

The arrangement is unconventional but the principle is not. Communication, trust and alignment are fundamental to effective teams in any context, including the team responsible for coaching the team.

The third member of Holbrook’s new-look coaching group is Danny Buderus, who needs no introduction to the Knights’ faithful. Buderus is the most capped played in Knights history and an NRL Hall of Famer. His appointment provided a direct connection between Newcastle’s new direction and its past.

There were also important changes in the playing group. Two of the biggest signings were Dylan Brown from Parramatta and Sandon Smith from the Roosters, providing much needed stability in the halves (a role for the team’s primary playmakers and tactical decision-makers). Between the start of the 2022 season and end of 2025, the Knights had changed their halves combination 38 times.

In round 21, Brown suffered an ACL injury, yet the team continued winning.

New tactics, fresh connections

Improvement has come from generating substantially better performances from many of the players who were already there.

Holbrook has implemented a much more attacking style. By late September they led the NRL with 31 tries originating from inside their own half. Their system uses multiple playmakers rather than relying on one conventional organising half.

There is structure but also freedom. Players understand their roles and are trusted to make decisions. This is a basic principle of effective management: provide clarity and structure while also giving people autonomy to apply their strengths.

Perhaps the most interesting element of Newcastle’s transformation is unrelated to tactics and recruitment. When Holbrook was appointed, he focused on the hard-working nature of the Hunter region and the importance of rugby league to the city of Newcastle.

Who the Knights represented became part of the conversation. The resilience and toughness of the people in the stands needed to be reflected by the players on the field.

Holbrook made this connection tangible. During pre-season the squad travelled through the region, interacting with fans and building excitement. Memorably, Holbrook took the players 100 metres underground into a Hunter coal mine so they could connect with the working-class history and identity of the region they represent.

NRL Immortal and Knights legend Andrew Johns has also been a regular presence at the club this season. For a playing group trying to return Newcastle to the top, this connection to history matters.

The club has also extended its partnership with Hunter Junior Rugby League, strengthening pathways and community engagement across one of rugby league’s largest junior nurseries.

Every junior club has a Knights player linked to it. The club is investing heavily in pathway coaches, trainers, administrators and player development.

A spike or something more sustainable?

A grand final appearance doesn’t prove the transformation is sustainable. Pathway investment won’t produce talent immediately. Other clubs will study their attacking style of play. Personnel will change. Expectations will rise dramatically and the emotional energy of a turnaround season cannot be recreated every year.

Have the Knights built an outstanding team for one extraordinary season or a high performing sport organisation capable of sustained success? We don’t know yet.

However, a premiership victory on Sunday would complete one of the great modern NRL turnarounds and achieve something Australian rugby league has not seen for more than 90 years.

Ashlee Morgan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.