In the 33-year history of the Newcastle Knights, 312 players have represented the club at the highest level.
BARRY TOOHEY has covered every one of those 33 seasons from the foundation years of the club under inaugural coach Allan McMahon to the present day and witnessed the highs of their two premiership successes and the lows of four wooden spoons and everything in between.
So who have been the Knights' greatest players during that period? Leaving aside the current squad, with several of the players having only been at the club for a season or two, Barry has come up with his Top 50 in order. Over the course of the week we have been counting down to the Knights' greatest player, with the full list to be revealed on Saturday.
Here is the list so far: 50 Steve Fulmer. 49 Matt Hilder, 48 Anthony Quinn, 47 Junior Sa'u, 46 Sean Rudder, 45 Daniel Abraham, 44 Clint Newton, 43 Adam Woolnough, 42 Zeb Taia, 41 Darius Boyd, 40 David Boyd, 39 Glenn Miller, 38 Willie Mason, 37 Jamie Ainscough, 36 Kade Snowden, 35 Ashley Gordon, 34 Matt Parsons, 33 Paul Marquet, 32 Tony Kemp, 31 Dane Gagai, 30 Brad Godden, 29 Chris Houston, 28 Beau Scott, 27 Chris Houston, 26 Owen Craigie, 25 Josh Perry, 24 Jeremy Smith, 23 Sam Stewart, 22 Robbie McCormack, 21 Darren Albert.
Today, we continue the countdown to number one with another 10 from No.20.
20. Billy Peden
A coal miner from Cessnock, Peden was 24 when he made his top-grade debut for the Knights and bled red and blue. He went on to play 190 NRL games for the club in a remarkable career that spanned nine seasons. A real unsung hero of both Knights premiership successes, playing hooker in the 1997 decider and scoring two tries at lock in the 2001 triumph. He is one of only five Knights players to win two premierships.
19. Jarrod Mullen
Mullen was just 18 when coach Michael Hagan handed him his top-grade debut against Wests Tigers in mid-2005 and just two years later, after the sudden retirement of Andrew Johns, was forced to wear the mantle as the club's number one playmaker for almost a decade. He was thrown to the wolves in 2007 for one game by the NSW Blues Origin selectors. Played 211 NRL games for the club across 12 seasons before a drug suspension ended his career.
18. Akuila Uate
One of the greatest crowd-pleasers to have played for the club, the Fijian flyer put plenty of bums on seats during a nine-year career and was rated the world's best winger in 2011. In 161 games for the Knights after debuting as a centre in 2008, Uate scored a club-record 110 tries and was Dally M Winger of the Year twice and the NRL's leading try-scorer in 2010. He played five Origins, five Tests for the Kangaroos and represented Fiji 18 times.
17. Mark Hughes
A lightweight outside back from Kurri Kurri, Hughes became a club legend off the back of sheer hard work, courage and a determination to squeeze every ounce of talent out of his 80-something kilogram frame. After debuting in 1997, he played on the wing in the grand final win over Manly and is one of the five players to win two premierships after playing in the centres in 2001. In nine seasons at the Knights, he played 161 games, scoring 66 tries, and played all three games at fullback for NSW in 2001.
16. Marc Glanville
A foundation player, Glanville joined the Knights from St George and debuted for the club in round six against Wally Lewis' Broncos side in front of 30,220 at Marathon Stadium in 1988. It was the start of an outstanding 10-season career in Newcastle, where he played 188 games and made seven finals appearances. A defensive workhouse who epitomised everything the club stood for, his last game for the Knights was fittingly their 1997 grand final triumph over Manly.
15. Timana Tahu
A brilliantly talented, athletic winger or centre, Tahu debuted in 1999 when he was just 18 and was one of the game's most prolific try-scorers. In his 126 games for the Knights, he scored 93 tries, including an important one in the second half of the 2001 grand final, won 30-24 over Parramatta. He played five Tests and made 12 appearances for NSW in Origin. The only Knights player to be able to slam-dunk over the crossbar.
14. Michael Hagan
Made arguably his biggest impact at the club as a coach but Hagan's playing record was also outstanding after linking with the Knights in 1989. It came after he had won a premiership with the Bulldogs the previous year. He featured for the next five seasons, playing 111 top-level games. So big was his influence on the playing group, he was made captain in 1990 and played a leading role as the side's chief playmaker in the Knights' early finals appearances.
13. Kurt Gidley
The club's greatest ever utility star, Gidley is the second highest-capped Knights player with 251 games after an outstanding career than spanned 15 seasons following his debut in 2001. He scored 80 tries and kicked 452 goals and four field goals for 1228 points for the Knights. He was an inspirational captain and dripped passion for the club with a great ability to excel wherever he was chosen [he played in six different positions].
12. Tony Butterfield
Another foundation player who courageously fought back from two injury-plagued seasons in 1991-92 to become an all-time great of the club. In 13 seasons from 1988, he played 229 games for the Knights and was the most capped player at the time when he retired at the end of the 2000 season. Tough and uncompromising, he was an outstanding defensive forward and inspiring leader who never took a step back.
11. Matthew Johns
The club's greatest five-eighth whose dynamic combination with younger brother Andrew in the halves helped establish the Knights as one of the most dangerous sides in the competition during their reign together at the top. He played 176 NRL games for the Knights in nine seasons from 1992, figuring prominently in their 1997 triumph. He played nine Tests for the Kangaroos and can always gloat that he was chosen for Australia before his brother.
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