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October 3, 2026 \u2014 3:52pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n In his final pre-game media conference, Newcastle coach Justin Holbrook maintained that the emotion of grand final week would not overwhelm his Knights charges as they attempt to take the final step of a remarkable surge that has taken them from the very bottom to the brink of the NRL summit<\/a> within 12 months.<\/p>\n That comment was made at about 8.45am on Saturday morning. Within 45 minutes, the goalposts shifted.<\/p>\n It was then, just as the players boarded their Sid Foggs coach for their journey to Sydney, that a dark cloud was cast over the biggest day on the rugby league calendar.<\/p>\n The Knights knew something was amiss when their bus didn\u2019t depart straight away \u2013 and when it did, was diverted away from the designated route through Wallsend streets lined with hundreds of well-wishing supporters.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we started the trip off, it was euphoria,\u201d said one of the passengers on the Knights bus, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation. \u201cIt was incredible, there were people everywhere, it was awesome.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then it was, \u2018Why are we going here?\u2019 Little murmurs started. And then they came to address us \u2026 it put a downer on everything. What started as euphoria ended up being a very quiet bus.\u201d<\/p>\n After a series of conversations with police, Newcastle\u2019s director of football Chris James attempted to fill in the blanks as best he could.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were shocked, it was a very sombre bus ride,\u201d said another passenger. \u201cOur fans mean everything to us. For that to happen; horrible. Everyone is rattled.\u201d<\/p>\n The gravity of the situation became apparent before the Knights had even disembarked. NRL executive chairman Peter V\u2019landys is a man not easily rattled, but the concern in his voice when contacted was unmissable.<\/p>\n \u201cGeez, it\u2019s bloody awful,\u201d a clearly shaken V\u2019landys told this masthead. \u201cWe\u2019re just concerned about the victims.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked if the incident would impact on the plans for the grand final, V\u2019landys said: \u201cWe\u2019re just concerned about the victims at the moment, that\u2019s all we\u2019re focusing on.<\/p>\n \u201cOur thoughts are very much with those injured and anyone impacted by the events, not to mention the entire Knights community who have come together in jubilation to support their team.\u201d<\/p>\n The Knights had done a tremendous job of blocking out the noise and focusing on the job at hand this week as the city of Newcastle has united behind its team<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, the horrific crash on Saturday morning<\/a> that left 10 Knights fans, including three children, hospitalised has the potential to derail a potential fairytale premiership. How the shaken Newcastle players respond could well dictate the outcome of Sunday\u2019s clash against the Roosters.<\/p>\n The underdog Knights have already overcome so much to get to the grand final. Already missing Dylan Brown, Phoenix Crossland, Daniel Saifiti and Trey Mooney due to injury or suspension, the Novocastrians turned up with heavy hearts to their captain\u2019s run, their final pre-game training session at Accor Stadium for 2pm on Saturday.<\/p>\n \u201cOur thoughts and prayers are first and foremost with everyone who has been injured, their families and loved ones, and everyone who witnessed what occurred this morning,\u201d said Knights chief executive Peter Parr.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was meant to be a special morning for our community, thousands of Novocastrians coming together to farewell our team and show their support ahead of the grand final, has understandably turned into a distressing morning.<\/p>\n \u201cNewcastle is a strong community. We have seen that strength throughout this week, and today we need to draw on it again with compassion, care and support for those who need it most.\u201d<\/p>\n The bus trip is the setting for many tales that have entered rugby league folklore. It was on the corresponding journey to the grand final in 1997 that captain Paul Harragon stood up in front of his teammates and declared: \u2018Boys, we ain\u2019t coming back here as losers!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Then there is the 1985 State of Origin series. As the Blues bus brought the NSW players to the old Lang Park, upon approaching the Caxton Hotel, skipper Steve Mortimer ordered the driver to stop.<\/p>\n \u201cLook at them!\u201d Mortimer screamed at his teammates as Maroons fans rocked the bus and threw projectiles at it. \u201cThey hate us. They\u2019re here to see us get beaten, but we\u2019re sending them home disappointed. This is where it all turns for us.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Knights](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/5ad7403accafdf7dab123c81caba7cd1304fd663.jpeg\")
Knights coach Justin Holbrook speaks to media on Saturday morning.Sitthixay Ditthavong<\/p>\n![\"Knights](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/9ee31ce7eb7aaa8cc8634409468166ba5c20030a.jpeg\")
Knights players past and present met at the club\u2019s Centre of Excellence on Saturday morning before boarding the bus to Sydney.Sitthixay Ditthavong<\/p>\n![\"Knights](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/5d46f0d0583c4c510eb72e5b16307f56296726b6.jpeg\")
Knights players check their phones as they leave their hotel at Sydney Olympic Park for the captain\u2019s run at Accor Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Oscar Colman<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/efc2d99d6c827daf487895e272eb27dcd2bde3de.jpeg\")
The Knights make the short walk to Accor Stadium for their captain\u2019s run on Saturday.Oscar Colman<\/p>\n
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