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Worst attack since 1999: "Knights were pathetic"
Charles Goodsir • September 16th, 2025 1:28 pm
Despite a host of injuries to key players, SEN’s Andrew Voss and Greg Alexander both agree that it was unacceptable for the Newcastle Knights to end the 2025 season with the dreaded wooden spoon.
After winning their opening two matches, the Knights went 4-17 for the remainder of the year and lost their coach Adam O’Brien in the process.
Former Gold Coast Titans coach Justin Holbrook has been announced as Newcastle’s next head coach and Alexander believes his first order of business is addressing the spine.
“I think the Knights have hired a good coach,” Alexander said.
“The problem is where does Fletcher Sharpe play?
“Where does Dylan Brown play?”
“Sandon Smith is coming into the team and you already have Phoenix Crossland there,” Voss added.
Alexander replied; “Have they got a genuine seven among any of those players?
“There’s no doubt that injuries hurt them, as they do all teams, but they lost Sharpe and Kalyn Ponga very early in the season.
“With any side that runs last, there are many things to fix but the first one is their spine.
“Their spine has been a moving beast over the past few years.”
The Knights attack struggled all season, producing just 338 points over 24 games. The next worst attack was the Rabbitohs with 427 points for the year.
Newcastle’s 2025 season boasts the unwanted record of having the worst attack since the 1999 Western Suburbs Magpies who averaged a meagre 12.04 points per game. The Knights averaged 14.08 in 2025.
Newcastle also lost their last nine games of the season by an average margin of 26 points to end with a diabolical points differential of -300.
The last side to have a points differential over -300 points was the Wests Tigers in 2022 who ended with -327 and just four wins.
Despite a “bludger of year” according to Voss, he believes there are plenty of reasons for Knights fans to be optimistic in 2026.
“That roster shouldn’t come last,” Voss said.
“You have Bradman Best and Dane Gagai. Dylan Lucas is developing himself as a sensational back rower.
“They should’ve done better. I’ve said this before but they gave up at the end of the season.
"They may have been trying but they weren’t trying hard enough. They were pathetic in the final month.
“They deserved to get the wooden spoon.
“It’s not a quick fix but it can be fixed. There are parts there that are really good.
“Holbrook has just got to bring it all together. The only way is up.”
The Knights open their 2026 season in Las Vegas against the North Queensland Cowboys.
