2021 Newcastle Knights season | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
NRL Rank | 7th | |||
Play-off result | Elimination Finalists (Week 1) | |||
2021 record | Wins: 12; draws: 0; losses: 12 | |||
Points scored | For: 428; against: 571 | |||
Team information | ||||
CEO | Phil Gardner | |||
Coach | Adam O'Brien | |||
Captain | ||||
Stadium | McDonald Jones Stadium | |||
Avg. attendance | 17,636 | |||
High attendance | 23,015 | |||
Top scorers | ||||
Tries | Enari Tuala (13) | |||
Goals | Jake Clifford (33) | |||
Points | Jake Clifford (74) | |||
|
The 2021 Newcastle Knights season was the 34th in the club's history. Coached by Adam O'Brien and co-captained by Jayden Brailey, Kalyn Ponga and Daniel Saifiti, they competed in the NRL's 2021 Telstra Premiership. In July, the NRL relocated the competition to Queensland to avoid an outbreak of the Deltra variant COVID-19 virus in New South Wales. [1] The Knights finished the regular season in 7th place (out of 16), thus reaching the finals but were knocked out after losing to the Parramatta Eels in week 1.
Player/Coach | Previous Club | Length | Source |
---|---|---|---|
McKenzie Baker | Sydney Roosters | 2021 | [2] |
Zane Camroux | Wests Tigers | 2021 | [3] |
Tyler Coburn | Ipswich Jets | Pre-season | [4] |
Jake Clifford | North Queensland Cowboys | 2023 | [5] |
Tyson Frizell | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 2023 | [6] |
Bailey Hodgson | Castleford Tigers | 2023 | [7] |
Jack Johns | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 2021 | [8] |
Jacob Kiraz | North Queensland Cowboys | 2021 | [9] |
Blake Lenehan | Ipswich Jets | Pre-season | [4] |
Brayden Musgrove | Cessnock Goannas | 2022 | [10] |
Andrew Ryan (NSW Cup coach) | South Newcastle Lions | 2021 | [11] |
Garrett Smith | North Queensland Cowboys | 2021 | [12] |
Sauaso Sue | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 2022 | [13] |
Dom Young | Huddersfield Giants | 2023 | [14] |
Player | Junior side | Source |
---|---|---|
Harry Croker | Knights Jersey Flegg Cup | [31] |
Cooper Jenkins | Knights Jersey Flegg Cup | [32] |
Christian Ma'anaima | Knights Jersey Flegg Cup | [33] |
Jaron Purcell | Knights Jersey Flegg Cup | [2] |
Daniel Ticehurst | Knights Jersey Flegg Cup | [34] |
Chris Vea'ila | Knights S. G. Ball Cup | [35] |
Player/Coach | New role | Source |
---|---|---|
Adam Bettridge (Jersey Flegg Cup coach) | Knights S. G. Ball Cup assistant coach | [36] |
Luke Huth | Knights NSW Cup | [37] |
Rory Kostjasyn (Knights development coach) | Knights NRL assistant coach | [38] |
Eric Smith (Knights development coach) | Knights NRL assistant coach | [38] |
Player/Coach | Re-signed to | Source |
---|---|---|
Bradman Best | 2024 | [39] |
Jayden Brailey | 2025 | [40] |
Lachlan Fitzgibbon | 2023 | [41] |
Hymel Hunt | 2023 | [42] |
Brodie Jones | 2023 | [43] |
Kurt Mann | 2023 | [44] |
Adam O'Brien (head coach) | 2024 | [45] |
Mitchell Pearce | 2022 | [46] |
Daniel Saifiti | 2026 | [47] |
Jacob Saifiti | 2024 | [47] |
Starford To'a | 2023 | [48] |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Melbourne Storm | 24 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 815 | 316 | +499 | 44 |
2 | Penrith Panthers (P) | 24 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 676 | 286 | +390 | 44 |
3 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 24 | 20 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 775 | 453 | +322 | 42 |
4 | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | 24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 744 | 492 | +252 | 34 |
5 | Sydney Roosters | 24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 630 | 489 | +141 | 34 |
6 | Parramatta Eels | 24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 566 | 457 | +109 | 32 |
7 | Newcastle Knights | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 428 | 571 | −143 | 26 |
8 | Gold Coast Titans | 24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 580 | 583 | −3 | 22 |
9 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | 24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 520 | 556 | −36 | 22 |
10 | Canberra Raiders | 24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 481 | 578 | −97 | 22 |
11 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 474 | 616 | −142 | 18 |
12 | New Zealand Warriors | 24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 453 | 624 | −171 | 18 |
13 | Wests Tigers | 24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 500 | 714 | −214 | 18 |
14 | Brisbane Broncos | 24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 446 | 695 | −249 | 16 |
15 | North Queensland Cowboys | 24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 460 | 748 | −288 | 16 |
16 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 24 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 340 | 710 | −370 | 8 |
In 2021, the Knights' jerseys were made by O'Neills and their major sponsor was nib Health Funds.
2021 Home Jersey | 2021 Away Jersey | 2021 Heritage Jersey | 2021 Indigenous Jersey | 2021 NSW Mining Jersey |
---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Opponent | Venue | Score | Tries | Conversions | Attendance | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 27 February | Melbourne Storm | Albury Sports Ground | 10–30 | D.Lucas, D.Young | C.Randall (1/1) | |||||
Legend: Win Loss Draw |
Name | Appearances | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points | Captain | Age |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mitchell Barnett | 24 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 27 |
Bradman Best | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 20 |
Jayden Brailey | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 20 | 25 |
Jake Clifford | 13 | 2 | 33 | 0 | 74 | 0 | 23 |
Mat Croker | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
Phoenix Crossland | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 21 |
Lachlan Fitzgibbon | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 27 |
Tyson Frizell | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 30 |
Blake Green | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
Tex Hoy | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 22 |
Hymel Hunt | 17 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 28 |
Jack Johns | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 24 |
Brodie Jones | 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 23 |
Josh King | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 26 |
David Klemmer | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
Kurt Mann | 22 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 28 |
Jirah Momoisea | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
Brayden Musgrove | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 23 |
Mitchell Pearce | 12 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 32 |
Kalyn Ponga | 15 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 52 | 5 | 23 |
Chris Randall | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 26 |
Daniel Saifiti | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 17 | 25 |
Jacob Saifiti | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 25 |
Simi Sasagi | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
Pasami Saulo | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
Gehamat Shibasaki | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 23 |
Sauaso Sue | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 29 |
Starford To'a | 12 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 21 |
Enari Tuala | 25 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 23 |
Connor Watson | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 25 |
Dom Young | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 20 |
Totals | 25 | 80 | 63 | 2 | 448 | – | Average: 25 |
31 players used.
Source: [76]
The following players appeared in a representative match or were named in a representative squad in 2021.
Emerging Blues squad
New South Wales
Queensland
Hymel Hunt is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who played as a winger or centre.
The 2015 Newcastle Knights season was the 28th in the club's history. Coached by Rick Stone, interim coached by Danny Buderus after Stone's contract was terminated, and captained by Kurt Gidley, they competed in the NRL's 2015 Telstra Premiership, finishing the regular season in 16th place.
Mitchell Barnett is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop or second-row forward for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League (NRL).
The 2016 Newcastle Knights season was the 29th in the club's history. Coached by Nathan Brown and co-captained by Trent Hodkinson, Tariq Sims and Jeremy Smith, they competed in the NRL's 2016 Telstra Premiership, finishing the regular season in 16th place. In the pre-season the Knights competed in the 2016 Auckland Nines tournament, reaching the quarter-finals. Mid-way through the 2016 season the team had only one member selected to play in the 2016 State of Origin series. Notably, all four Mata'utia brothers, Chanel, Pat, Peter and Sione featured in the NRL team for the Knights throughout the year.
Daniel Saifiti is a Fiji international rugby league footballer who currently plays as a prop for the Dolphins in the NRL. He previously played for the Newcastle Knights.
Jacob Saifiti is a Fiji international rugby league footballer who plays as a prop forward for the Newcastle Knights in the NRL.
Kalyn Ponga is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who captains and plays as a fullback for the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League (NRL). He is the recipient of the 2023 Dally M Medal.
The 2017 Newcastle Knights season was the 30th in the club's history. Coached by Nathan Brown and captained by Trent Hodkinson, before being replaced by Sione Mata'utia and Jamie Buhrer in the captaincy role, they competed in the NRL's 2017 Telstra Premiership, finishing the regular season in 16th place.
Jayden Brailey is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a hooker for the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League (NRL).
The 2018 Newcastle Knights season was the 31st in the club's history. Coached by Nathan Brown and co-captained by Jamie Buhrer and Mitchell Pearce, they competed in the NRL's 2018 Telstra Premiership, finishing the regular season in 11th place.
Nicholas Meaney is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a fullback or centre for the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League.
The 2019 Newcastle Knights season was the 32nd in the club's history. Coached by Nathan Brown, interim coached by Kristian Woolf after Brown's contract was terminated, and captained by Mitchell Pearce, they competed in the NRL's 2019 Telstra Premiership, finishing the regular season in 11th place.
Bradman Best is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a centre for the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League (NRL).
The 2020 Newcastle Knights season was the 33rd in the club's history. Coached by Adam O'Brien and captained by Mitchell Pearce, they competed in the NRL's 2020 Telstra Premiership. On 23 March, the NRL announced that the season would be suspended after round 2, until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NRL returned on 28 May with a new draw, the Knights' round 3 game coming on 31 May against the Penrith Panthers. The Knights finished the regular season in 7th place, thus reaching the finals but were knocked out after losing to the South Sydney Rabbitohs in week 1.
Mathew Croker is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop and lock for the Newcastle Knights in the NRL.
Lachlan Miller is an Australian rugby league footballer who plays as a fullback for the Leeds Rhinos in the Super League.
The 2022 Newcastle Knights season was the 35th in the club's history. Coached by Adam O'Brien and co-captained by Jayden Brailey and Kalyn Ponga, they competed in the NRL's 2022 Telstra Premiership, finishing the regular season in 14th place.
The 2023 Newcastle Knights season was the 36th in the club's history. Coached by Adam O'Brien and co-captained by Jayden Brailey and Kalyn Ponga, they competed in the NRL's 2023 Telstra Premiership, finishing the regular season in 5th place, thus reaching the finals. The Knights made it to the second week of finals, before being knocked out by the New Zealand Warriors.
The 2024 Newcastle Knights season was the 37th in the club's history. Coached by Adam O'Brien and captained by Kalyn Ponga, they competed in the NRL's 2024 Telstra Premiership, finishing the regular season in 8th place, thus reaching the finals but were knocked out after losing to the North Queensland Cowboys in week 1.
The 2025 Newcastle Knights season will be the 38th in the club's history. Coached by Adam O'Brien and captained by Kalyn Ponga, they will compete in the NRL's 2025 Telstra Premiership.