# 2009 Newcastle Knights season

The 2009 Newcastle Knights season was the 22nd in the club's history. They competed in the NRL's 2009 Telstra Premiership and finished the regular season 7th (out of 16), reaching the play-offs for the first time since 2006. The Knights were then knocked out of the finals in the first week by the Bulldogs.

## Season summary

The Knights won 9 consecutive games at EnergyAustralia Stadium, breaking the previous home record of 8. Season 2009 also saw coach Brian Smith sacked after announcing on July 19 that he had signed a four-year deal with the Sydney Roosters, and subsequently the team faltered as they lost three consecutive games until Newcastle officials dismissed Smith and appointed assistant coach Rick Stone. The season began well for the Knights with the side winning 7 of their opening 10 games and were sitting equal first with the Bulldogs, St. George Illawarra and the Gold Coast with 14 points. However, during the representative season, the Knights struggled and went through a bad period of 7 losses in 11 games, the last three losses were recorded after news broke of Smith's departure from the club. With Stone in charge, the Knights won 3 of their last 4 games to secure 7th place and a finals berth for the first time since 2006.

## Match results

| Round | Opponent | Result | Score | Venue | Date | Crowd |
| 1 | Gold Coast Titans | Lost | 20-34 | Skilled Park | Sunday, March 15 | 16,203 |
| 2 | Cronulla Sharks | Won | 24-12 | Toyota Stadium | Monday, March 23 | 11,148 |
| 3 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | Lost | 12-22 | Bluetongue Stadium | Sunday, March 29 | 15,227 |
| 4 | Manly Sea Eagles | Won | 26-12 | EnergyAustralia Stadium | Sunday, April 5 | 15,324 |
| 5 | New Zealand Warriors | Won | 24-22 | EnergyAustralia Stadium | Sunday, April 12 | 13,626 |
| 6 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | Won | 24-18 | WIN Jubilee Stadium | Saturday, April 18 | 14,477 |
| 7 | Wests Tigers | Lost | 24-26 | Campbelltown Stadium | Sunday, April 26 | 17,898 |
| 8 | Brisbane Broncos | Won | 28-12 | EnergyAustralia Stadium | Saturday, May 2 | 18,154 |
| 9 | Gold Coast Titans | Won | 23-18 | EnergyAustralia Stadium | Sunday, May 10 | 11,258 |
| 10 | Sydney Roosters | Won | 38-6 | Sydney Football Stadium | Saturday, May 16 | 8,611 |
| 11 | North Queensland Cowboys | Lost | 10-36 | Dairy Farmers Stadium | Monday, May 25 | 11,892 |
| 12 | Bulldogs | Won | 22-14 | EnergyAustralia Stadium | Sunday, May 31 | 18,322 |
| 13 | Parramatta Eels | Lost | 18-20 | EnergyAustralia Stadium | Sunday, June 7 | 18,085 |
| 14 | New Zealand Warriors | Lost | 0-13 | Mt. Smart Stadium | Friday, June 12 | 14,255 |
| 15 | BYE | | | | | |
| 16 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | Won | 25-20 | EnergyAustralia Stadium | Monday, June 29 | 14,204 |
| 17 | Melbourne Storm | Lost | 14-18 | Olympic Park | Saturday, July 4 | 9,041 |
| 18 | Canberra Raiders | Won | 23-4 | EnergyAustralia Stadium | Saturday, July 11 | 15,355 |
| 19 | BYE | | | | | |
| 20 | Manly Sea Eagles | Lost | 20-44 | Bluetongue Stadium | Friday, July 24 | 15,857 |
| 21 | Sydney Roosters | Lost | 18-30 | EnergyAustralia Stadium | Saturday, August 1 | 15,112 |
| 22 | Parramatta Eels | Lost | 8-40 | Parramatta Stadium | Sunday, August 9 | 17,669 |
| 23 | Melbourne Storm | Won | 26-14 | EnergyAustralia Stadium | Monday, August 17 | 13,580 |
| 24 | North Queensland Cowboys | Won | 32-26 | EnergyAustralia Stadium | Saturday, August 22 | 15,408 |
| 25 | Canberra Raiders | Lost | 14-30 | Canberra Stadium | Monday, August 31 | 9,400 |
| 26 | Penrith Panthers | Won | 35-0 | EnergyAustralia Stadium | Sunday, September 6 | 22,152 |
| QF | Bulldogs | Lost | 12-26 | ANZ Stadium | Saturday, September 12 | 21,369 |

## NRL Standings

2009 NRL seasonvte :
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| 1 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 24 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 548 | 329 | +219 | 38 |
| 2 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 24 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 575 | 428 | +147 | 38$^1$ |
| 3 | Gold Coast Titans | 24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 514 | 467 | +47 | 36 |
| 4 | Melbourne Storm | 24 | 14 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 505 | 348 | +157 | 33 |
| 5 | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | 24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 549 | 459 | +90 | 32 |
| 6 | Brisbane Broncos | 24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 511 | 566 | −55 | 32 |
| 7 | Newcastle Knights | 24 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 508 | 491 | +17 | 30 |
| 8 | Parramatta Eels | 24 | 12 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 476 | 473 | +3 | 29 |
| 9 | Wests Tigers | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 558 | 483 | +75 | 28 |
| 10 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 24 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 566 | 549 | +17 | 27 |
| 11 | Penrith Panthers | 24 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 515 | 589 | −74 | 27 |
| 12 | North Queensland Cowboys | 24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 558 | 474 | +84 | 26 |
| 13 | Canberra Raiders | 24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 489 | 520 | −31 | 22 |
| 14 | New Zealand Warriors | 24 | 7 | 2 | 15 | 2 | 377 | 565 | −188 | 20 |
| 15 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | 24 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 359 | 568 | −209 | 14 |
| 16 | Sydney Roosters | 24 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 382 | 681 | −299 | 14 |
$^1$ The Bulldogs were deducted 2 competition points after an interchange breach in Round 2.

## 2009 Squad

Newcastle Knights 2009 Full-time Squad :
| Player | Position | DOB (Age) | Height | Weight | Junior Club | Previous Club(s) |
| Cameron Ciraldo | Second Row, Lock | 30/10/1984 (24) | 197 cm | 103 kg | Menai | Cronulla Sharks |
| Ben Cross | Prop | 06/12/1978 (30) | 190 cm | 110 kg | Batemans Bay | Canberra Raiders, Melbourne Storm |
| Isaac de Gois | Hooker | 24/12/1984 (24) | 180 cm | 85 kg | All Saints Liverpool | Cronulla Sharks, Wests Tigers |
| Scott Dureau | Halfback | 29/07/1986 (23) | 173 cm | 82 kg | Port Macquarie Sharks | Nil |
| Joel Edwards | Prop, Second Row | | | | Cessnock Goannas | Nil |
| Richard Fa'aoso | Prop, Second Row | 08/05/1984 (25) | 182 cm | 104 kg | North Aspley | Penrith Panthers, Sydney Roosters, Parramatta Eels |
| Jimmy Fawcett | Fullback | 21/04/1988 (21) | 191 cm | 86 kg | Umina Bunnies | Canterbury Bulldogs |
| Kurt Gidley (C) (GK) | Fullback, 5/8 | 07/07/1982 (27) | 178 cm | 89 kg | Wests Newcastle | Nil |
| Matt Hilder | Lock, Hooker | 30/04/1982 (27) | 184 cm | 94 kg | Cronulla Caringbah | Cronulla Sharks, Gold Coast Titans |
| Chris Houston | Second Row, Lock | 15/02/1985 (24) | 193 cm | 106 kg | Narooma | St George Illawarra Dragons |
| Marvin Karawana | Hooker, Lock | 30/07/1986 (23) | 181 cm | 98 kg | Wainui Lions | Canterbury Bulldogs |
| Keith Lulia | Centre, Wing | 17/06/1987 (22) | 190 cm | 97 kg | Port Kembla | St George Illawarra Dragons |
| Adam MacDougall | Centre, Wing | 08/05/1975 (34) | 183 cm | 95 kg | Harbord Diggers | Sydney Roosters, South Sydney |
| Luke MacDougall | Centre, Wing | 05/02/1982 (27) | 183 cm | 94 kg | Cronulla Caringbah | Cronulla Sharks, South Sydney Rabbitohs, St George Illawarra Dragons |
| Shannon McDonnell | Fullback, Wing | | | | - | Wests Tigers |
| James McManus | Wing, Centre | 15/01/1986 (24) | 186 cm | 91 kg | Palmerston Raiders | Nil |
| Constantine Mika | Second Row, Lock | 14/09/1989 (19) | 183 cm | 98 kg | - | New Zealand Warriors |
| Jarrod Mullen | 5/8, Halfback | 09/04/1987 (22) | 179 cm | 88 kg | Taree Panthers, Wests Newcastle, Old Bar Pirates | Nil |
| Wes Naiqama | Centre, Wing, Fullback | 19/10/1982 (26) | 184 cm | 95 kg | Arncliffe Scots | St George Illawarra Dragons |
| Tim Natusch | Prop | 03/07/1986 (23) | 184 cm | 108 kg | Wellington (NZ) | Nil |
| George Ndaira | Hooker | 22/02/1985 (23) | 175 cm | 88 kg | Arncliffe Scots | St George Illawarra Dragons, Sydney Roosters, South Sydney Rabbitohs |
| Cory Paterson | Second Row, Lock | 14/07/1987 (22) | 195 cm | 107 kg | South Perth Lions | Nil |
| Ben Rogers | 5/8, Lock | 26/04/1985 (24) | 184 cm | 92 kg | St Dominics | St George Illawarra Dragons, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Penrith Panthers |
| Junior Sa'u | Centre | 18/04/1987 (22) | 173 cm | 102 kg | Logan Brothers | Canberra Raiders |
| Steve Simpson | Second Row | 27/09/1979 (29) | 191 cm | 103 kg | Singleton Greyhounds | Nil |
| Zeb Taia | Lock, Second Row | 11/10/1984 (24) | 185 cm | 106 kg | St Clair Comets | Parramatta Eels |
| Mark Taufua | Second Row, Prop | 24/10/1981 (27) | 187 cm | 104 kg | Woodberry Warriors | Nil |
| Daniel Tolar | Prop, Second Row | 11/04/1982 (27) | 188 cm | 103 kg | Central Charlestown | Nil |
| Sione Tovo | Prop | 19/07/1988 (21) | 178 cm | 110 kg | Mascot Jets | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
| Akuila Uate | Wing | 6/10/1987 (21) | 185 cm | 94 kg | Woy Woy | Nil |
| Cooper Vuna | Wing, Centre | 05/07/1987 (22) | 194 cm | 103 kg | Otahuhu Leopards | New Zealand Warriors |
| Danny Wicks | Prop | 05/12/1985 (23) | 190 cm | 124 kg | Grafton Ghosts | St George Illawarra Dragons |

## Sources

* NRL Draw
* NRL Ladder
* http://www.newcastleknights.com.au