Here it is - the best of the best. The top 10 players of the 312 who have pulled on the famous red and blue jumper of the Newcastle Knights over the past 33 years.
It's a top 10 any club would be proud of. All of them Kangaroos. All of them Origin representatives. Nine of them premiership winners.
Matchwinners. Warriors. Fearless leaders. Local juniors. Gun recruits.
Okay, so no prizes for guessing who comes in at No.1
When I started trying to work out the club's 50 greatest players, the Eighth Immortal was obviously the first name on the list. No argument.
No doubt, you'll have your own opinions on the rest of my list which excludes any current Knights players..
Let the debate begin.
10. Adam Muir
A Lakes United junior, Muir made his top-grade debut for the Knights in 1992 and was one of the game's most skilful second-rowers during the second half of the 1990s. "Hurtsy" was an outstanding ball-runner with the ability to offload in traffic that set him apart from a lot of other forwards in the game. He was an integral part of the Knights' premiership triumph in 1997, his final game for the club. In six seasons, he finished one short of a century of top-grade games for the Knights and featured in 13 Origin matches for NSW and played two Tests for the Kangaroos. In 1995, he was a member of the Australian World Cup squad.
9. Adam MacDougall
One of the more unconventional characters to have pulled on the red and blue, the man affectionately known as "Mad Dog" had a cult following at the Knights for good reason - he was a genuine match-winner. Ahead of his time in his training methods that often saw him training on his own, Doogs played 158 top-grade games for the club in two stints and was a member of both premiership sides - on the wing in 1997 in the win over Manly and in the centres for the 2001 triumph over the Eels. He played 11 games for the Blues in Origin, kick-starting a great rivalry with Wendell Sailor, and represented his country in 11 Tests. In the 2000 and 2001 seasons, he played 41 games and was at the peak of his powers, scoring 30 tries and is currently third on the club's all-time try-scoring list.
8. Steve Simpson
If you are looking for someone who epitomises inaugural coach Allan McMahon's Knights mantra of "be the player everyone wants to play with", Steve Simpson would be near the top of everyone's list. An ultimate professional, Simmo featured in 216 NRL games for the club over 12 seasons after debuting in 1999. A raw-boned, rangy second-rower, he played 13 Origin games for NSW and represented Australia in seven Tests after debuting in the 64-10 thrashing of Great Britain in 2002. A great edge defender, he developed his attacking game outside Andrew Johns to become one of the best hole-runners in the NRL. No Knights fan will ever forget him running over the top of Jason Taylor to score a try in the 2001 grand final against Parramatta but just as crucial was his incredible try-saving tackle to hold Andrew Ryan up over the line to prevent an Eels first-half four-pointer.
7. Mark Sargent
A real figurehead for the club in its infancy, Sargent arrived at the Knights via the Canterbury Bulldogs in 1989 and was a destructive front-rower who established himself as one of the game's best props in the late '80s and early '90s. He holds the distinction of being the first Knights international following his selection for the 1990 Kangaroo Tour, making his Test debut in the Kangaroos' 14-0 Ashes-deciding Third Test after Mal Meninga's famous late try in the Second Test at Old Trafford had kept the series alive. "Sarge", a Central Charlestown junior, ended up playing five Tests for Australia. Before being selected for his country, Sargent was joint-winner of the Rothmans Medal with Sharks second-rower Gavin Miller as the best player in the competition in his first year at the Knights. Overall, he played 126 top-grade games with Newcastle in seven seasons before his retirement.
6. Robbie O'Davis
Undoubtedly the Knights' greatest signing from north of the border, O'Davis was a brilliant fullback whose two-try, man-of-the-match performance in the 1997 grand final win over Manly will go down in Knights folklore and coined the named "Robbie O'Save Us". The slightly built Queenslander made his debut for the club in 1992 and was still chasing another season at the Knights when he finally finished up after 223 top-grade games at the end of the 2004 season. He followed up his Clive Churchill Medal performance in the '97 decider by winning a second title in Michael Hagan's class of 2001 team. All up, he played 12 Origins for the Maroons, including all three in 1995 when Paul Vautin's underdogs secured a 3-0 whitewash of the Blues in a massive upset. O'Davis made the World Cup squad that year and went on to play eight Tests for Australia.
5. Ben Kennedy
Without question, the greatest recruit in the club's history, Kennedy only played five seasons and 86 games for the Knights but will go down as an all-time great and one of the first chosen in any best-ever side. Signed from Canberra for the 2000 season, the rangy back row/lock filled the void and then some of the similarly talented Adam Muir, who had departed three seasons earlier. Apart from his great attacking skills and punishing defence, BK had in spades what all the great players have - an insatiable desire to win and was one of the toughest to ever lace on a boot. There were a number of times during his career where he would be on crutches and struggling to walk after games, only to back up and play the following week. The Clive Churchill Medal was awarded to Andrew Johns after the 2001 grand final but there were plenty of good judges, including Johns himself, who thought that Kennedy was the more deserving winner. He played 13 Origin games for the Blues and 16 Tests for his country.
4. Matt Gidley
What a player! A born-and-bred local and Wests Rosellas junior, Gidley was regarded as the game's best centre during his 11-season career at the club that saw him play 221 games for the Knights after debuting in 1996. An injury in the minor semi-final against Parramatta robbed him of the chance to play in the 1997 decider but he made up for the disappointment by sharing in the 2001 premiership glory. He played in 11 Origins for NSW and 17 Tests for Australia after debuting for the Kangaroos in a Tri-Series win over New Zealand in 1999. Formed great partnerships at the Knights with wingers Darren Albert and Timana Tahu and made famous the "Gidley flick", a clever pass out the side of the hand after drawing in the opposition winger that produced a bag full of tries during his outstanding career.
3. Danny Buderus
A legend of the club who holds the record for the most number of games for the Knights with 257, achieved in two stints over a period of 14 seasons. One of the most loved and admired players of his era, Buderus joined the Knights from Taree as a teenage playmaker before he became one of the greatest hookers in the game's history. All up, he played 24 Tests for Australia and made 21 Origin appearances, including captaining the Blues to a 2005 series win over the Maroons. He was a vital member of the Knights' 2001 grand final-winning side and won multiple Dally M Hooker of the Year and Rep player of the year awards. In 2004, he was crowned Dally M Medallist and RLPA player of the year. A great leader, he left the Knights at the end of the 2008 season to play for three years in England with Leeds before returning in 2012 to play for a further two years under Wayne Bennett. In his final season before retirement, Buderus was the inspiration behind the Knights' charge to the preliminary final against the Sydney Roosters in 2013, that ended with him knocked out by a stray elbow from Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
2. Paul Harragon
A giant of a man in every sense of the word when it comes to the Knights and their history. Fearless as a player, "Chief" was the ultimate inspirational leader with a strong passion and love for not only the club but for Newcastle and the region, and he would do just about anything to bring about success for both. A pro forward who led from the front, his battles with great rival Mark Carroll during his career were legendary and epitomised his toughness but he wasn't afraid to reveal his emotions as his tears after the 1997 grand final triumph over Manly cleared showed. Another product of the Lakes United club, Harragon made his debut in 1989 and played 169 top-grade games for the club until his retirement in 1999 because of knee issues. He played 20 Tests for Australia, captaining his country against South Africa in 1996 and made 20 consecutive Origin appearances for NSW from 1992-98. His crowning glory, however, was his leadership in securing the club's first premiership.
1. Andrew Johns
Simply the best! Nothing sums up the genius of the youngest of the Johns brothers better than that. In the eyes of many, he is the game's greatest of all time and was officially recognised as among the very best when he became the Eighth Immortal in 2012 after an extraordinary career. Highly talented and ambitious, the kid from Cessnock elevated himself to the top of the pile through sheer hard work and desire during a top-grade career that spanned 15 seasons after he made his debut off the bench against the Gold Coast in 1993. He retired in 2007 as the then highest point-scorer in history with 2176 points from 80 tries, 917 goals and 22 field goals. He featured in 23 Origin games for NSW, captaining the Blues to a series win in 2003 and played 26 Internationals for Australia. He played in two World Cups and a Kangaroo Tour. There are too many career highlights to mention but no one will ever forget his bold blindside play on the last tackle that produced the match-winning try for Darren Albert in the 1997 decider or his inspiration as skipper in the 2001 grand final win over Parramatta where he was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal. He won the Dally M Medal as the game's best player on three occasions.
THE TOP 50:
1. Andrew Johns 2. Paul Harragon 3. Danny Buderus 4. Matt Gidley 5. Ben Kennedy 6. Robbie O'Davis 7. Mark Sargent 8. Steve Simpson 9. Adam MacDougall 10. Adam Muir 11, Matthew Johns 12. Tony Butterfield 13.Kurt Gidley 14. Michael Hagan 15. Timana Tahu 16. Marc Glanville 17. Mark Hughes 18. Akuila Uate 19. Jarrod Mullen 20. Billy Peden 21. Darren Albert 22. Robbie McCormack 23. Sam Stewart 24. Jeremy Smith 25. Josh Perry 26. Owen Craigie 27. James McManus 28 Beau Scott 29. Chris Houston 30. Brad Godden 31. Dane Gagai 32. Tony Kemp 33. Paul Marquet 34. Matt Parsons 35. Ashley Gordon 36. Kade Snowden 37. Jamie Ainscough 38. Willie Mason 39. Glenn Miller 40. David Boyd 41. Darius Boyd 42. Zeb Taia 43. Adam Woolnough 44. Clint Newton 45. Daniel Abraham 46. Sean Rudder 47. Junior Sa'u 48. Anthony Quinn 49. Matt Hilder 50. Steve Fulmer.
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