At the same time as a patched-up Knights side minus seven regulars takes on a near full-strength Parramatta at McDonald Jones Stadium tomorrow, the Knights will be celebrating one of their golden eras.
As part of a 20th anniversary reunion weekend, the premiership-winning 2001 squad will be paraded, along with all the club's Old Boys, in front of an adoring crowd.
It will be a reminder of just how spoiled this city has been in the past because of it's footy side.
A gallery of club legends, many of them local kids who grew up to be giants of the game, will be there.
Remarkably, 11 of the 17 players who triumphed against the Eels in the grandfinal back in '01, headed by Andrew Johns and Danny Buderus, were local juniors.
Will we ever see a wonderful era like it again? We can all only hope.
Fast forward two decades and there are critics of the club who would have you believe the Knights are a world away from that ever happening. They claim the club's junior pathways system is broken and in need of a drastic overhaul.
The evidence though of the past few weeks suggests the Knights may be travelling a little better in that area than some might think.
The fact that 12 of the 17-man squad that upset one of the form teams of the competition in Manly last Sunday came through the club's junior system indicates the likes of Scott Dureau and Alex McKinnon have been doing plenty right in recent seasons even if there is always room for improvement.
Against the Eels tomorrow, 15 of the 21-man squad named for the game have been in the junior system at the Knights at some stage. Yes, some of the club's biggest name imports, who would normally be there, are absent. But it does show the pathways are doing their job by at least filling the gaps and just maybe, it's not all doom and gloom on the junior front.
Ponga intrigue
No-one in the Knights camp was quite sure why Kalyn Ponga made the trip up to Brisbane on Monday to go into camp with the Queensland Maroons for a few days when he was never a realistic chance of playing in Origin I.
That was intriguing enough in itself, particularly when he pulled the pin on Tuesday and was back home in Newcastle on Wednesday.
But what must have really went down like a lead balloon with some at the Knights who have no doubt been working overtime to try and get the star fullback back on the field following his groin strain were his comments to the media on his first day in camp when he was asked about his chances of playing.
He said: "I'm pretty confident. I'm progressing pretty well....I'm in a good environment here. The best environment to be in in terms of professionalism and standards and all that." Ouch.
Maybe, he didn't mean it the way it came out. If he didn't, it was a poor choice of words. If he did - well that's another story altogether.
Lodge hold-up
We're hearing the Brisbane Broncos are holding up the negotiation process around Matt Lodge and his likely release to the Knights.
With Daniel Safiti in Origin camp and David Klemmer out suspended for a couple of weeks, the Knights had hoped to have secured the controversial Lodge by now. But they are being made to wait by the Broncos, a situation they can do little about.
Impressing the boss
Knights coach Adam O'Brien had his first close up look at teenage English fullback Bailey Hodgson last weekend in NSW Cup and liked what he saw.
Hodgson played the first half against Blacktown in his debut for the club after finally shrugging off a knee tendon injury that required surgery.
"What I liked most about him was he was busy," O'Brien told us. "He had a lot of carries and put himself in the contest, both in and around the ruck and out the back in shape. I think he showed we have plenty to work with."
Flanagan twist
A Sydney media columnist ran with a story last weekend that the Knights had sounded out former Shark Shane Flanagan about a coaching job at the club next season.
The columnist suggested the Knights would deny the story if asked about it. He was right on that point - they did deny it.
They denied approaching Flanagan, claiming it was actually the other way around.
"It's funny how things can get twisted. A representative of Shane Flanagan actually rang us, asking if we were interested and offering us his coaching services," Knights CEO Phil Gardner told us.
DSaf the leader
Origin prop Daniel Saifiti won't be playing against the Eels but will still be the outright leader in our player of the year competition after polling points in the Knights big win over Manly last Sunday. Connor Watson polled maximum points against the Eagles.
Knights v Manly: 3 Connor Watson, 2 Daniel Saifiti, 1 Phoenix Crossland.
Current leader board after Round 12:
13- Daniel Saifiti 10- Kalyn Ponga. 9- Jayden Brailey, Connor Watson. 8- Mitch Barnett. 5- Tyson Frizell, Bradman Best. 4- Brodie Jones. 3- Kurt Mann, Jacob Saifiti. 1- David Klemmer, Jesse Sue, Phoenix Crossland.
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