2021 Newcastle Knights season

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2021 Newcastle Knights season
NRL Rank7th
Play-off resultElimination Finalists (Week 1)
2021 recordWins: 12; Draws: 0; Losses: 12
Points scoredFor: 428; Against: 571
Team information
CEOPhil Gardner
CoachAdam O'Brien
Captain
StadiumMcDonald Jones Stadium
Avg. attendance17,636
High attendance23,015
Top scorers
TriesEnari Tuala (13)
GoalsJake Clifford (33)
PointsJake Clifford (74)
< 2020 2022 >

The 2021 Newcastle Knights season was the 34th in the club's history. Coached by Adam O'Brien and co-captained by Jayden Brailey, Kalyn Ponga and Daniel Saifiti, they competed in the NRL's 2021 Telstra Premiership. In July, the NRL relocated the competition to Queensland to avoid an outbreak of the Deltra variant COVID-19 virus in New South Wales.[1] The Knights finished the regular season in 7th place (out of 16), thus reaching the finals but were knocked out after losing to the Parramatta Eels in week 1.

Squad[]

For the complete list of Newcastle Knights players, see List of Newcastle Knights players.
Newcastle Knights 2021 squad
2021 NRL top 30 squad Development players Coaching staff

Extended squad players

  • – FB
  • – HK
  • – FE
  • – SR (pre-season training experience)
  • – SR
  • 327 Mat Croker – PR
  • – LK
  • – SR
  • – LK (pre-season training experience)
  • – CE
  • – LK
  • – WG
  • – PR
  • – FB

Head coach

Assistant coaches

Legend:
  • (c) Captain(s)
  • (vc) Vice captain(s)

Updated: 9 November 2021
Source(s): Newcastle Knights Profiles,
Rugby League Project

Transfers and Re-signings[]

Gains[]

Player/Coach Previous Club Length Source
Sydney Roosters 2021 [2]
Wests Tigers 2021 [3]
Ipswich Jets Pre-season [4]
Jake Clifford North Queensland Cowboys 2023 [5]
Tyson Frizell St. George Illawarra Dragons 2023 [6]
Bailey Hodgson Castleford Tigers 2023 [7]
Jack Johns South Sydney Rabbitohs 2021 [8]
Jacob Kiraz North Queensland Cowboys 2021 [9]
Ipswich Jets Pre-season [4]
Brayden Musgrove Cessnock Goannas 2022 [10]
Andrew Ryan (NSW Cup coach) South Newcastle Lions 2021 [11]
North Queensland Cowboys 2021 [12]
Sauaso Sue Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 2022 [13]
Dom Young Huddersfield Giants 2023 [14]

Losses[]

Player/Coach Club Source
South Sydney Rabbitohs [15]
Lakes United [16]
Herman Ese'ese Gold Coast Titans [17]
Beau Fermor Gold Coast Titans [18]
David Furner (assistant coach) Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs [19]
Tim Glasby Retirement [20]
(NSW Cup coach) Released
Aidan Guerra Retirement [21]
Danny Levi Manly Warringah Sea Eagles [22]
Mason Lino Wakefield Trinity [23]
Canberra Raiders [24]
Sione Mata'utia St Helens R.F.C. [25]
Andrew McCullough Brisbane Broncos [26]
Tautau Moga South Sydney Rabbitohs [27]
Tyronne Roberts-Davis Wests Tigers [28]
Tweed Heads Seagulls [29]
Macquarie Scorpions [30]

[]

Player Junior side Source
Knights Jersey Flegg Cup [31]
Knights Jersey Flegg Cup [32]
Knights Jersey Flegg Cup [33]
Knights Jersey Flegg Cup [2]
Knights Jersey Flegg Cup [34]
Knights S. G. Ball Cup [35]

Change of role[]

Player/Coach New role Source
(Jersey Flegg Cup coach) Knights S. G. Ball Cup assistant coach [36]
Knights second-tier squad [37]
Rory Kostjasyn (Knights development coach) Knights NRL assistant coach [38]
(Knights development coach) Knights NRL assistant coach [38]

Re-signings[]

Player/Coach Re-signed to Source
Bradman Best 2024 [39]
Jayden Brailey 2025 [40]
Lachlan Fitzgibbon 2023 [41]
Hymel Hunt 2023 [42]
Brodie Jones 2023 [43]
Kurt Mann 2023 [44]
Adam O'Brien (head coach) 2024 [45]
Mitchell Pearce 2022 [46]
Daniel Saifiti 2026 [47]
Jacob Saifiti 2024 [47]
Starford To'a 2023 [48]

Player contract situations[]

2021 (leaving) 2021 (off-contract) 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
[49] [2] [50] Mitchell Barnett[51] Bradman Best[39] Jayden Brailey[40] Daniel Saifiti[47]
Blake Green[52] [3] Mat Croker[53] Jake Clifford[5] Jacob Saifiti[47]
[54] [31] Phoenix Crossland[55] Lachlan Fitzgibbon[41] Kalyn Ponga[56]
Josh King[57] [32] Tex Hoy[58] Tyson Frizell[6]
Jacob Kiraz[59] [60] Edrick Lee[61] Bailey Hodgson[7]
[49] [62] Hymel Hunt[42]
[63] Jirah Momoisea[64] Jack Johns[55]
Mitchell Pearce[65] Brayden Musgrove[10] Brodie Jones[43]
Gehamat Shibasaki[66] [67] David Klemmer[68]
[69] Simi Sasagi[43] Kurt Mann[44]
Starford To'a[70] Pasami Saulo[71] Chris Randall[55]
Connor Watson[72] Sauaso Sue[13] Enari Tuala[73]
[34] [74]
Dom Young[14]

Ladder[]

2021 NRL season
  • v
  • t
Pos Team Pld W D L B PF PA PD Pts
1 Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne Storm 24 21 0 3 1 815 316 +499 44
2 Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2017 colours.svg Penrith Panthers (P) 24 21 0 3 1 676 286 +390 44
3 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney Rabbitohs 24 20 0 4 1 775 453 +322 42
4 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 24 16 0 8 1 744 492 +252 34
5 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters 24 16 0 8 1 630 489 +141 34
6 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels 24 15 0 9 1 566 457 +109 32
7 Newcastle colours.svg Newcastle Knights 24 12 0 12 1 428 571 −143 26
8 Gold Coast Titans colours.svg Gold Coast Titans 24 10 0 14 1 580 583 −3 22
9 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 24 10 0 14 1 520 556 −36 22
10 Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders 24 10 0 14 1 481 578 −97 22
11 St. George colours.svg St. George Illawarra Dragons 24 8 0 16 1 474 616 −142 18
12 Auckland colours.svg New Zealand Warriors 24 8 0 16 1 453 624 −171 18
13 Wests Tigers colours.svg Wests Tigers 24 8 0 16 1 500 714 −214 18
14 Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos 24 7 0 17 1 446 695 −249 16
15 North Queensland colours.svg North Queensland Cowboys 24 7 0 17 1 460 748 −288 16
16 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 24 3 0 21 1 340 710 −370 8


Milestones[]

Jerseys and sponsors[]

In 2021, the Knights' jerseys were made by O'Neills and their major sponsor was nib Health Funds.

2021 Home Jersey 2021 Away Jersey 2021 Heritage Jersey 2021 Indigenous Jersey 2021 NSW Mining Jersey
Newcastle Knights heritage jersey 2009.png Newcastle Knights home jersey 2001.svg

Fixtures[]

Pre-season Trials[]

Date Opponent Venue Score Tries Conversions Attendance
Saturday, 27 February Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne Storm Albury Sports Ground 10–30 , D.Young C.Randall (1/1)
Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw

Statistics[]

Name Appearances Tries Goals Field Goals Points Captain Age
Mitchell Barnett 24 4 13 0 42 0 27
Bradman Best 17 3 0 0 12 0 20
Jayden Brailey 23 3 0 0 12 20 25
Jake Clifford 13 2 33 0 74 0 23
Mat Croker 2 0 0 0 0 0 22
Phoenix Crossland 9 1 1 0 6 0 21
Lachlan Fitzgibbon 10 3 0 0 12 0 27
Tyson Frizell 19 3 0 0 12 0 30
Blake Green 6 0 0 0 0 0 35
Tex Hoy 7 1 6 0 16 0 22
Hymel Hunt 17 4 0 0 16 0 28
Jack Johns 6 1 0 0 4 0 24
Brodie Jones 22 3 0 0 12 0 23
Josh King 18 1 0 0 4 0 26
David Klemmer 21 0 0 0 0 0 28
Kurt Mann 22 3 0 1 13 0 28
Jirah Momoisea 3 0 0 0 0 0 23
Brayden Musgrove 7 1 0 0 4 0 23
Mitchell Pearce 12 3 0 1 13 0 32
Kalyn Ponga 15 8 10 0 52 5 23
Chris Randall 5 2 0 0 8 0 26
Daniel Saifiti 20 3 0 0 12 17 25
Jacob Saifiti 23 3 0 0 12 0 25
Simi Sasagi 2 0 0 0 0 0 20
Pasami Saulo 3 0 0 0 0 0 23
Gehamat Shibasaki 3 1 0 0 4 0 23
Sauaso Sue 23 2 0 0 8 0 29
Starford To'a 12 6 0 0 24 0 21
Enari Tuala 25 13 0 0 52 0 23
Connor Watson 25 2 0 0 8 0 25
Dom Young 6 4 0 0 16 0 20
Totals 25 80 63 2 448 – Average: 25

31 players used.

Source:[75]

Representative honours[]

See also: List of Newcastle Knights representatives

The following players appeared in a representative match or were named in a representative squad in 2021.

Emerging Blues squad

New South Wales

Queensland

Individual honours[]

Newcastle Knights awards[]

References[]

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