WHATEVER disappointments and frustrations the Knights were suffering in 2003 were put into context by a tragic event mid-season.
When news reached Newcastle on May 24 of the sudden death of the club's inaugural coach, Allan McMahon, some of the toughest footballers ever to lace on a boot wept uncontrollably.
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McMahon passed away at his home in the Wollongong suburb of Fairy Meadow, on the morning of Newcastle's round-11 home game against Cronulla.
The 48-year-old was reported to have woken at 7am, complaining of back pain and nausea. He died in his bathroom minutes later of a massive heart attack, leaving behind wife Glenice and three teenaged children.
Knights players took the field wearing black armbands, and rarely has a minute's silence been more sombre or heartfelt.
In interviews with the Newcastle Herald's Brett Keeble, Knights coach Michael Hagan, appointed captain by McMahon in 1990, described the former Kangaroos utility back as "the guy who built the football club".
"He implemented some standards and principles in the club that we still like to hang our hat on," Hagan said.
"There's no question that today was a very sad day for the football club. Macca should be thanked for everything he's done for this club, and obviously we send our condolences to his wife Glenice and family."
Mark Sargent said McMahon's "legacy here is enormous", explaining that "the principles that he put in place, that's still what is expected of blokes to this day, and that will always be the case."
Sargent was in tears when he told long-time front-row partner Paul Harragon at their daughters' netball games.
"Everyone's thoughts are with Glenice and the kids, and it's been an emotional day for everyone. Macca was a good bloke, that's the bottom line," Sargent said.
Tony Butterfield admitted he was a "ratbag" when he arrived in Newcastle from Penrith in 1988, but McMahon was able to "harness" him.
"He was a guy who could have a good time, have a few beers, but when he was serious he was very competitive and expected an extremely high standard from all of us," Butterfield said.
Knights chairman Michael Hill, who described the former Kangaroo as "the single most influential person in the history of this club", was left wishing the club had honoured him with life membership.
"His contribution, from a football point of view, is more significant than anybody else in our club's history," Hill said.
"This is the first time the club has really had to grieve, which is part of the maturing process."
More than 100 Knights players, staff and Old Boys made the trek south the following Thursday for what was one of the largest funeral services in Wollongong's history. McMahon's death overshadowed what proved to be a cursed season for Newcastle.
If one injury was the turning point in their 2002 campaign, 12 months later they were battered from start to finish by a procession of body blows to their main men.
Johns played in only 16 games, while Ben Kennedy (13), Adam MacDougall (12), Robbie O'Davis (15), Timana Tahu (14), Matt Parsons (16) and Steve Simpson and Mark Hughes (both 17) also missed large chunks of the year.
All things considered, it was a remarkable effort for Newcastle to qualify seventh in the play-offs, after 14 wins and 10 losses in the preliminary rounds.
After a season-opening 36-26 win in Auckland, followed by losses to the Roosters and Parramatta, successive victories against Melbourne, Canterbury and Cronulla and the Tigers lifted the Knights to third on the ladder.
Unfortunately that was as good as it got. From then on, every step forward was followed by a step or two back.
There was a notable highlight in round 12, when the Knights scored their first-ever win in Brisbane, playing the role of party poopers at a redeveloped Suncorp Stadium, upsetting the Broncos 32-22 in front of a 46,337-strong crowd.
Newcastle's cause was not helped when Kennedy, playing in NSW's series-clinching game two Origin win against Queensland, hit Steve Price with a swinging arm that left the Maroons prop in Disneyland.
Kennedy copped a four-match suspension that effectively incorporated six games, as it also meant he was ineligible for Origin III and the mid-season Test against New Zealand.
"It will be up to the people out there to have a look at the video and see whether that tackle is worth missing four club games, a State of Origin match and possible selection for Australia," Kennedy said upon emerging from the judiciary hearing, adding that he "didn't think it was too bad a tackle".
Newcastle lost three of the four games while Kennedy was cooling his heels, dropping out of the top eight.
Meanwhile, they were also without champion fullback O'Davis for a month after he suffered a horrific facial injury in their 34-6 win against Wests Tigers in round 15.
The 30-year-old was taken to hospital after suffering a depressed compound fracture of his nose and a fractured upper jaw.
"It was probably the worst broken nose and/or facial injury I've ever seen in 20 years of rugby league," coach Hagan said.
"I sincerely hope there was nothing sinister in how it occurred, because if it did, it's caused an enormous amount of damage and pain."
The player responsible, Tigers winger Robbie Beckett, was not charged for the late hit.
Back-to-back wins against Manly (36-28) and North Queensland (60-24) steadied the ship, but the demolition in Townsville came at a cost.
Upon returning to Newcastle, Johns underwent scans that revealed a bulging disc in his neck.
His season was over.
The Knights immediately drifted from $8 in the bookies' premiership market to $26 long shots.
Johns said he was "absolutely shattered" but vowed that the injury would not end his career.
"To be honest, it hasn't sunk in yet," he said.
"It's happened pretty quickly. It's hard to put a word or a phrase on how I feel at the moment, but my health has to come first."
Newcastle's long-time doctor, Neil Halpin, provided some perspective by saying that had Johns continued to play, the outcome may have been "potentially catastrophic".
"The worst-scenario? You don't like to use the word paraplegic, but this isn't a sore knee," Halpin said.
In the absence of their inspirational leader, versatile Kurt Gidley switched to halfback and the Knights won three of their last four games to qualify for the finals.
But they were no match for the second-placed Roosters in the opening round of the play-offs, bowing out after a 36-8 hammering from the defending premiers at Sydney Football Stadium.
Just when the Knights thought they were safe to start licking their wounds and preparing for 2004, they suffered one last kick in the guts. After an injury-plagued two seasons in which he had played only 13 games, MacDougall was poised to sign a match-payments contract extension.
"To me, it's not about the money - it never has been," MacDougall told the Newcastle Herald's Brett Keeble late in the season.
"That's why I've always stayed loyal to Newcastle. Obviously I've wanted to stay here, but money has never been a driving force."
A month later, as the Knights were preparing to announce he had re-signed, South Sydney swooped with an offer that "Mad Dog" found impossible to refuse.
"It's been one of the biggest decisions of my career leaving a club I spent eight years at and won two grand finals with," MacDougall said in a statement.
"I'll miss the Newcastle fans, my teammates and the many friends I've made in Newcastle but my decision is based on the fact that I needed to secure my future."
Before news of his decision had even filtered back to some of his former teammates, the 28-year-old, who scored 57 tries in 86 games for Newcastle, had jumped on a plane for Hawaii.
Two-time grand final winner, NSW and Australian representative, and highly tuned, unpredictable enigma who had missed more games than he would care to remember, for a variety of reasons ... there would only ever be one "Mad Dog" MacDougall.
Allan McMahon's contribution, from a football point of view, is more significant than anybody else in our club's history,
MICHAEL HILL
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