Footy is back.
Rejoice for that time of the year is almost upon us; we’re on the bridge between the trials and the NRL season kick-off.
I’m looking forward to the season starting as always.
As a passionate Knights fan and rugby league lover, I can honestly admit I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it. I have got so many things I’m looking forward to this season.
1. Watching the Knights season opener in Campbelltown
Newcastle Knights will be travelling to Campbelltown to take on the reigning three-peat wooden spooners Wests Tigers.
This is a game I am looking forward to attending and it’s no secret Tigers have recruited well so I hope my team doesn’t see them as easy beats.
Adam Elliott celebrates a try with teammates after scoring. (Photo by Scott Gardiner/Getty Images)
2. Watching the Knights run out to a packed home stadium
Going to see my team run out in front of their passionate supporters at home is always something to look forward to and better when we get the win.
Not including the trial, it will officially be six months and five days since they ran out in front of their home crowd for a competition game and interestingly enough, also against the Dolphins.
We won that game in September and the same bloody result is much preferred, please. I hope the Knights have made a mini goal of turning the Marathon Stadium of old back into a fortress again.
Turn it from a football field to a war zone.
3. Being in a wild crowd
When you think of a wild crowd, usually the first thing that comes to mind is a mosh pit.
The NRL has a different kind of wild crowd, most likely extremely difficult to get a crowd surfing experience but I’ll happily take chanting “Newcastle” with my fellow Knights fans first.
Before I progress any further, I’d like to share two experiences with being in a wild passionate crowd.
A. Newcastle Knights 2023 home final
Watching the Knights play an edge-of-your-seat thriller against Canberra at home in a final game was crazy. One of the loudest Newcastle chants I’ve ever heard in all my years of attending football.
B. 2024 State of Origin decider at Lang Park
I remember when I walked into the ground on the night of the ground. I was on the away side of a passionate Queensland crowd in a State of Origin decider in Brisbane, a situation NSW don’t have much success in.
Two quick tries for NSW saw them win the decider 14-4. The final two minutes were priceless, all the NSW fans in my bay gathering together to rip into the Queenslanders and then celebrate when the final siren sounded.
Both experiences were being in the wildest crowds on both the home and away sides.
4. Magic Round and Perth
I have been to Brisbane on three separate occasions, twice for the Knights to take on the Broncos and as mentioned before, last year’s decider.
Lang Park is my favourite away ground and I’ve never done Magic Round so it’s a new experience for me.
As for Perth, I originally chose to turn it down until I found out the Knights will be playing three days after Game 2 of State of Origin in Perth. State of Origin in a neutral ground and a city I’ve never been to before, challenge accepted.
Fletcher Sharpe scores a try. (Photo by Scott Gardiner/Getty Images)
5. Watching the continuing progress of Fletcher Sharpe
From the moment this kid ran on the field for his NRL debut against Melbourne at AAMI Park (a match I also attended), I knew right away he was a special talent.
Filling in at fullback for Kalyn Ponga, Fletcher had two wins and two losses and when KP returned, he then shifted to the wing, a position he never played before and made the best of it.
Now with his shift to the halves, where he played most of his juniors, I can’t wait to see how well he goes there.
Now Roarers, what are you personally looking forward to the most in the upcoming season?
Adrian Megalehttps://https://ift.tt/qzP65yd stadiums, vocal crowd chants and the rise of a young rookie: Five things to get excited about this NRL season
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