WHEN the first tackle crunches to the turf at ANZ Stadium tomorrow, Damian McFarland will be waving proudly in the stands.
The devoted Knights fan on Friday clinched permission to take his large flag, a landmark of Turton Road rugby league matches, on the road.
It is a prospect that in March seemed unlikely when NRL matches went before empty stadiums for the first time as a consequence of the pandemic.
McDonald Jones Stadium will again stand empty during the match which could have been played there, a fact cemented in only the final round of a season unlike any other. Yet while Newcastle will rue what might have been in hosting a blockbuster clash, the fact a team clad in red and blue is playing beyond the regular season is cause enough for celebration.
Fans have to look back to 2013 for the club's last appearance in the post-season, a run that ended at Allianz Stadium in a match that also ended the career of Knights great Danny Buderus.
While its end was less than thrilling for the Hunter faithful, it began in spectacular fashion after Newcastle snatched a win from a Melbourne Storm side many had believed impervious on their Victorian home ground.
That 40-14 defeat to the Roosters, who ultimately claimed that year's title, was a long time ago. The stadium where it was played has been razed and the coach who led Newcastle in those days, when Nathan Tinkler owned the club, is now at the helm of South Sydney.
The years between have been mostly lean ones for Knights fans. But off the field, the club has changed much for the better as it bided its time and rebuilt the roster.
Wests and Knights chief executive Phil Gardner has shared this week how close the NRL came to relocating the pride of the Hunter. Instead, the club now stands profitable and home to a suite of superstars.
Coach Adam O'Brien began his debut season in Newcastle calling for his players to become comfortable with being uncomfortable, but fans had already made that adjustment. Even when a win seemed impossible, the crowds rarely flagged.
Hopefully the faithful will be rewarded on Sunday with a performance worthy of their dedication and a chance to etch 2020 beside 1997 and 2001 in Newcastle folklore.
That would truly be better than Lego.
