This is the fifth article in the series where I’ll pay tribute to the pioneers of each of the eleven surviving clubs who entered the league since I began following rugby league back in the 1960s and tell you a little about who they were and where they came from.
Today, the men from the Hunter Valley, the Newcastle Knights.
It’s now largely forgotten that Newcastle was one of the foundation clubs in 1908 and that the Newcastle Rebels, as they were often known, travelled down to Sydney by train to play in the NSWRL most weekends. This all came to an end in 1910 when they left the NSWRL to focus on their own local competition, and it was to be another 79 years until they re-joined the NSWRL.
Here’s the team that ran out against Parramatta at the Newcastle International Sports Centre in front of over 26,000 parochial fans on March 5 1988, a game in which they were soundly beaten 28-4.
Numbers in brackets are the total first-grade games the player played for Newcastle, and note that under the numbering system of the time, that the hooker is number 12 and the lock is number 8.
1. Glenn Frendo (47)
Frendo was a Bulldogs junior who made first grade with them in 1986 before joining the Knights in 1988 where he stayed for three seasons.
2. Brian Quinton (28)
Quinton was a real speedster and had a handful of games in first grade with St George in 1987 before heading to greener pastures at Newcastle. He scored Newcastle’s first-ever try in the top grade when he crossed in their second-round clash against Western Suburbs. He played in the local Newcastle competition in 1990 before joining the Gold Coast in 1995.
3. Gavin Hanrahan (9)
Hanrahan had four years with Balmain before being recruited by the Knights for their inaugural campaign in the NSWRL. He had just one season with Newcastle.
4. Glenn Miller (84)
Miller had a handful of games in the top grade with Penrith across the 1986 and 1987 seasons before joining the Knights for the next five years, alternating between centre and wing, and even had a few games in the back row. He captained the team in three games in 1988 when regular captain Sam Stewart was unavailable.
5. Rod Whitaker (5)
Blink and you missed him. Whittaker joined the Knights from Cessnock in the Newcastle competition, made his first-grade debut in the Knights inaugural game, played the next four rounds and was gone.
6. Robbie Tew (7)
Tew joined the Knights in 1988 from Redcliffe and scored the club’s first-ever points when he landed two goals in their inaugural match. Injuries limited his opportunities with the Knights but he retained his involvement with the club and was awarded Life Membership in 2020.
7. Steve Walters (23) (Not That Steve Walters)
Walters was playing in the local competition when the Knights signed him for the 1988 season. He was a versatile utility back and he spent four years with the club.
8. David Boyd (114)
Boyd was a powerful forward who had 13 years in the top grade, both here and in England. He came to the Knights from the Bulldogs and was not only a member of the Knights inaugural team but also a member of the Western Reds inaugural team when they joined the fray in 1995.
9. Sam Stewart (C) (81)
Stewart was some player and not someone to be taken lightly on the field, or off it probably. He had played five tests for the Kiwis by the time he was signed by the Knights from the New Zealand domestic competition, and would go on to play 11 more. He was the ideal player to lead the club in their first season and was made the club’s first life member. He went on to finish his career in England after leaving Newcastle at the end of 1993.
10. Michael McKiernan (34)
McKiernan had just two seasons with the Knights after joining them from the Lakes United club.
11. David Thorne (36)
Thorne played every game in the Knights inaugural season and then backed up again the following year before playing in the Central Coast competition in 1990. He returned for one final game for the Knights in 1991.
12. Tony Townsend (25)
Hailing from Dungog, Townsend started his football career in 1985 with St George before heading back home to play for the Knights. He spent three years with the club, in and out of first grade, before retiring at the end of 1990 to pursue his career in the NSW Police Force.
13. Tony Butterfield (229)
Butterfield went on to become a Knights legend after joining them in 1988 from Penrith, with just four first-grade games under his belt. He played 13 years for Newcastle and was part of their first premiership success in 1997. He retired at the end of 2000 and later became involved in the management of the Rugby League Players’ Association.
14. Scott Carter (42)
Carter was a 19-year-old captain/coach at Denman in 1987 before joining the Knights in the big time. He was a handy hooker who had four years with the Knights before succumbing to injury, and later finishing his career in England.
15. George Mann (8)
Mann was a tough forward and joined Newcastle from the Auckland competition. He only had one season with Newcastle but went on to play nearly 300 first-grade games in England, as well as nine tests for New Zealand and two for Tonga.
16. Tea Ropati (2)
Ropati was a versatile back and yet another player recruited by the Knights from the Auckland competition. He only played two first-grade games for the Knights in his sole season there in 1988, but his best years were ahead of him. He played for St Helens for six seasons before becoming part of the Warriors inaugural team in 1995.
Coach: Alan McMahon (81)
After spending some time in the Canberra Raiders coaching system, McMahon was appointed as Newcastle coach in 1988 and resigned in 1991.
36 players represented the Knights in first grade that year, and some of the better-known players from 1988 who were not in that first run-on side were:
Jeff Doyle (71)
Doyle was a handy centre who joined the club from Redcliffe and had four years with the Knights, before going on to play with both the North Sydney Bears and the Western Reds.
Marc Glanville (188)
Glanville was a great lock forward who came to the Knights from St George, liked what he saw and stayed for the next ten years, winning a premiership with the Knights in 1997.
Steve Fulmer (64)
Fulmer was a halfback who made his first-grade debut with the Knights off the bench in Round 2 in 1988 and played four years in the top grade, the first three as starting halfback.
James Goulding (29)
The no-nonsense Kiwi forward joined the Knights from the New Zealand domestic competition having represented his country in 1985. He went on to play four more tests and left the Knights at the end of 1990.
Paul Harragon (169)
Harragon made his first-grade debut as a 19-year-old bench forward with the Knights in 1988 and went on to become one of their greatest players, leading them to their first premiership in 1997. He also had a stellar representative career, representing NSW and Australia, each on 20 occasions.
Tony Kemp (87)
Kemp was a versatile performer who came to the Knights as a 20-year-old in 1988 after having played in both New Zealand and England. He spent five years with the Knights and went on to play 25 tests for the Kiwis.
Year one pioneers who you may not remember include Adrian Bubb (1), Darren Forward (4) and Michael Reid (3).
Newcastle predictably struggled in their first season, finishing 14th on the table, just ahead of Western Suburbs and fellow debutants in the Gold Coast Giants, but bigger things were ahead. They won just five matches and drew one in 1988, with their best result coming in the final round, when they trounced North Sydney by 38-6.
Importantly, they enjoyed great hometown support throughout the year, drawing an average home crowd of over 20,600. Novocastrians love their football.
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