2015 Newcastle Knights season
Rugby league team season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2015 Newcastle Knights season was the 28th in the club's history. Coached by Rick Stone, interim coached by Danny Buderus after Stone's contract was terminated, and captained by Kurt Gidley, they competed in the NRL's 2015 Telstra Premiership, finishing the regular season in 16th place (out of 16).
| 2015 Newcastle Knights season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NRL Rank | 16th (last) | |||
| 2015 record | Wins: 8; losses: 16 | |||
| Points scored | For: 458; against: 612 | |||
| Team information | ||||
| CEO | Matthew Gidley | |||
| Coach | Rick Stone then Danny Buderus (interim) | |||
| Captain | ||||
| Stadium | Hunter Stadium | |||
| Avg. attendance | 15,891 | |||
| High attendance | 23,604 | |||
| Top scorers | ||||
| Tries | Akuila Uate (12) | |||
| Goals | Tyrone Roberts (54) | |||
| Points | Tyrone Roberts (120) | |||
| ||||
Milestones
- Round 1: James McManus played his 150th for the club, which was also his 150th career game.
- Round 1: Tyler Randell scored his 1st career try and kicked his 1st career goal.
- Round 1: Beau Scott captained his 1st game for the club.
- Round 1: Jack Stockwell made his debut for the club, after previously playing for the St. George Illawarra Dragons.
- Round 2: Akuila Uate scored his 57th try at Hunter Stadium, breaking Adam MacDougall's record of 56 tries as the highest ever try-scorer at Hunter Stadium.
- Round 3: Chris Houston scored his 100th point for the club, which was also his 100th career point.
- Round 5: Tariq Sims made his debut for the club, after previously playing for the North Queensland Cowboys.
- Round 6: Akuila Uate scored his 100th career try, which was also his 100th for the club, becoming the 1st Knight to do so.
- Round 7: Dane Gagai scored his 100th career point.
- Round 7: Kurt Gidley captained his 107th game for the club, breaking Andrew Johns' record of 106 games for most appearances as captain for the Knights.
- Round 9: Joseph Leilua played his 50th game for the club.
- Round 9: Tariq Sims scored his 1st try for the club.
- Round 10: David Fa'alogo played his 50th game for the club.
- Round 10: Chad Redman made his NRL debut for the club and scored his 1st career try.
- Round 12: Chris Houston played his 150th game for the club.
- Round 12: Sam Mataora made his debut for the club, after previously playing for the Canberra Raiders.
- Round 12: Carlos Tuimavave made his debut for the club, after previously playing for the New Zealand Warriors.
- Round 13: Joseph Leilua scored his 50th career try.
- Round 15: Danny Levi made his NRL debut for the club.
- Round 15: Carlos Tuimavave scored his 1st try for the club.
- Round 16: Dane Gagai scored his 100th point for the club.
- Round 16: Danny Levi scored his 1st career try.
- Round 20: Jeremy Smith played his 50th game for the club.
- Round 21: Lachlan Fitzgibbon made his NRL debut for the club.
- Round 21: Nathan Ross made his NRL debut for the club and scored his 1st career try.
- Round 21: Beau Scott played his 50th game for the club.
- Round 22: Korbin Sims played his 50th game for the club, which was also his 50th career game.
- Round 22: Joseph Tapine scored his 1st career try.
- Round 24: Tyrone Roberts scored his 400th point for the club, which was also his 400th career point.
- Round 25: Kurt Gidley played his 250th game for the club, which was also his 250th career game.
- Round 25: Akuila Uate played his 150th game for the club, which was also his 150th career game.
- Round 26: Beau Scott played his 200th career game.
Squad
| 2015 NRL premiership squad | Extended squad players | Coaching staff | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Head coach
Assistant coaches
Updated: 31 December 2015 | |||||
Transfers and Re-signings
Gains
| Player/Coach | Previous club | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Jake Finn | Western Suburbs Rosellas | 2015 |
| Jacob Gagai | Brisbane Broncos | 2015 |
| Matt Lantry (NSW Cup coach) | Central Newcastle Butcher Boys | 2016 |
| Craig Sandercock (assistant coach) | Hull Kingston Rovers | 2015 |
| Tariq Sims | North Queensland Cowboys | 2016 |
| Damian Sironen | Tweed Heads Seagulls | 2015 |
| Jack Stockwell | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 2017 |
| Carlos Tuimavave | New Zealand Warriors | 2016 |
Losses
| Player/Coach | Club |
|---|---|
| Wayne Bennett (head coach) | Brisbane Broncos |
| Joe Boyce | Brisbane Broncos |
| Darius Boyd | Brisbane Broncos |
| Mick Crawley (assistant coach & NYC coach) | Canberra Raiders |
| Adam Cuthbertson | Leeds Rhinos |
| Michael Dobson | Salford Red Devils |
| Jacob Gagai | Brisbane Broncos |
| Matt Hilder | Retirement |
| Brenton Horwood | Eastern Suburbs Tigers |
| Toka Likiliki | Released |
| Josh Mantellato | Hull Kingston Rovers |
| Willie Mason | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles |
| Alex McKinnon | Retirement |
| Matt Minto | Central Queensland Capras |
| Russell Packer | Contract terminated |
| Chance Peni | Wests Tigers |
| Anthony Quinn | Retirement |
| Timana Tahu | Retirement |
| Zane Tetevano | Contract terminated |
| Travis Waddell | Brisbane Broncos |
| Brayden Wiliame | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles |
Promoted juniors
| Player | Junior side |
|---|---|
| Jack Cogger | Knights New South Wales Cup |
| James Elias | Knights New South Wales Cup |
| Jaelen Feeney | Knights National Youth Competition |
| Lachlan Fitzgibbon | Knights National Youth Competition |
| Sam Keenan | Knights National Youth Competition |
| Josh King | Knights National Youth Competition |
| Brock Lamb | Knights National Youth Competition |
| Danny Levi | Knights National Youth Competition |
| Jah Pakau | Knights National Youth Competition |
| Pride Petterson-Robati | Knights National Youth Competition |
| Dylan Phythian | Knights National Youth Competition |
| Michael Steele | Knights New South Wales Cup |
| Tuiala Togiatasi | Knights National Youth Competition |
| Honeti Tuha | Knights New South Wales Cup |
| Noel Underwood | Knights New South Wales Cup |
| Luke Yates | Knights National Youth Competition |
Change of role
| Player/Coach | New role |
|---|---|
| Danny Buderus (trainer) | Knights assistant coach & interim head coach |
| Troy Pezet (High Performance Unit Manager) | Knights National Youth Competition coach |
| Rick Stone (assistant coach & New South Wales Cup coach) | Knights head coach |
| Ben Tupou | Knights second-tier squad |
Re-signings
| Player/Coach | Re-signed to |
|---|---|
| Jack Cogger | 2018 |
| Jaelen Feeney | 2017 |
| Lachlan Fitzgibbon | 2017 |
| Dane Gagai | 2017 |
| Brock Lamb | 2017 |
| Danny Levi | 2018 |
| Jake Mamo | 2017 |
| Chanel Mata'utia | 2018 |
| Pat Mata'utia | 2018 |
| Sione Mata'utia | 2018 |
| Tyler Randell | 2017 |
| Korbin Sims | 2017 |
| Jeremy Smith | 2016 |
| Kade Snowden | 2017 |
| Luke Yates | 2017 |
Player contract situations
Ladder
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Sydney Roosters |
24 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 591 | 300 | +291 | 40 |
| 2 |  Brisbane Broncos |
24 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 574 | 379 | +195 | 38 |
| 3 |  North Queensland Cowboys (P) |
24 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 587 | 454 | +133 | 38 |
| 4 |  Melbourne Storm |
24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 467 | 348 | +119 | 32 |
| 5 |  Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 522 | 480 | +42 | 32 |
| 6 |  Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks |
24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 469 | 476 | −7 | 32 |
| 7 |  South Sydney Rabbitohs |
24 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 465 | 467 | −2 | 30 |
| 8 |  St. George Illawarra Dragons |
24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 435 | 408 | +27 | 28 |
| 9 |  Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles |
24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 458 | 492 | −34 | 26 |
| 10 |  Canberra Raiders |
24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 577 | 569 | +8 | 24 |
| 11 |  Penrith Panthers |
24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 399 | 477 | −78 | 22 |
| 12 |  Parramatta Eels |
24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 448 | 573 | −125 | 22 |
| 13 |  New Zealand Warriors |
24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 445 | 588 | −143 | 22 |
| 14 |  Gold Coast Titans |
24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 439 | 636 | −197 | 22 |
| 15 |  Wests Tigers |
24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 487 | 562 | −75 | 20 |
| 16 |  Newcastle Knights |
24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 458 | 612 | −154 | 20 |
Jerseys and sponsors
In 2015, the Knights' jerseys were made by ISC and their major sponsor was Newpave Asphalt.
| 2015 Home Jersey | 2015 Away Jersey | 2015 ANZAC Jersey | 2015 Heritage Jersey | 2015 ISC Marvel Heroes Spider-Man Jersey | 2015 NSW Mining Jersey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
Fixtures
Auckland Nines
Squad: 1. Sione Mata'utia 2. Jake Mamo 3. Dane Gagai 4. Chanel Mata'utia 5. Carlos Tuimavave 6. Jarrod Mullen (c) 7. Tyrone Roberts 8. Pat Mata'utia 9. Adam Clydsdale 10. Paterika Vaivai 11. Tyler Randell 12. Chris Houston 13. Robbie Rochow 14. Nathan Ross 15. Korbin Sims 16. Joseph Tapine 17. Jack Stockwell 18. Danny Levi
| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Score | Tries | Drop Goal Conversions | Attendance | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 31 January | Auckland Nines Game 2 |  St. George Illawarra Dragons | Eden Park | 18 – 7 | J.Mamo (3), D.Gagai | J.Mullen (1/4) | ||||
| Saturday, 31 January | Auckland Nines Game 9 | Parramatta Eels | Eden Park | 15 – 21 | N.Ross, C.Houston, J.Tapine | T.Roberts (1/3) | ||||
| Sunday, 1 February | Auckland Nines Game 18 | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles | Eden Park | 20 – 17 | T.Randell, T.Roberts, S.Mata'utia, A.Clydsdale | T.Roberts (1/2), J.Mullen (1/2) | ||||
| Sunday, 1 February | Auckland Nines Quarter-Final 2 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | Eden Park | 6 – 30 | J.Mamo | J.Mullen (1/1) | ||||
| Legend: Win Loss Draw | ||||||||||
Pre-season trials
| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Score | Tries | Goals | Attendance | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 14 February | Trial 1 | Port Macquarie Sharks/Wauchope Blues | Lank Bain Sporting Complex, Wauchope | 86 – 0 | T.Randell (2), P.Mata'utia (2), J.Feeney (2), J.Mamo (2), J.Elias (2), S.Mataora, N.Ross, J.Leilua, S.Keenan, M.Filipo, J.Finn | T.Randell (7/9), H.Tuha (2/5), D.Levi (1/1) | ||||
| Saturday, 21 February | Trial 2 | Canberra Raiders | Seiffert Oval | 26 – 4 | A.Uate (3), J.Leilua, A.Clydsdale | T.Roberts (3/3), K.Gidley (0/2) | 6,350 | |||
| Legend: Win Loss Draw | ||||||||||
Regular season
Statistics
| Name | Appearances | Tries | Goals | Field goals | Points | Captain | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Clydsdale | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 22 |
| David Fa'alogo | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 35 |
| Lachlan Fitzgibbon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Dane Gagai | 24 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 24 |
| Kurt Gidley | 22 | 6 | 13 | 0 | 50 | 22 | 33 |
| Chris Houston | 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 30 |
| Joseph Leilua | 13 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 24 |
| Danny Levi | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 20 |
| Jake Mamo | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 21 |
| Sam Mataora | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| Chanel Mata'utia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| Sione Mata'utia | 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 19 |
| James McManus | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 29 |
| Jarrod Mullen | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 28 |
| Clint Newton | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 34 |
| Tyler Randell | 20 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 23 |
| Chad Redman | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 23 |
| Tyrone Roberts | 21 | 3 | 54 | 0 | 120 | 0 | 24 |
| Robbie Rochow | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 25 |
| Nathan Ross | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 27 |
| Beau Scott | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 31 |
| Korbin Sims | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 23 |
| Tariq Sims | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 25 |
| Jeremy Smith | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 35 |
| Kade Snowden | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 29 |
| Jack Stockwell | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| Joseph Tapine | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 21 |
| Carlos Tuimavave | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 23 |
| Akuila Uate | 22 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 28 |
| Paterika Vaivai | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| Totals | 24 | 79 | 71 | 0 | 458 | - | Average: 26 |
30 players used.
Source:[75]
Representative honours
The following players appeared in a representative match in 2015.
Australian Schoolboys
- Jayden Butterfield
Cook Islands
Fiji
Indigenous All Stars
Junior Kiwis
Lebanon
New South Wales
- Sione Mata'utia (squad member)
- Beau Scott
- Tariq Sims (18th man)
New South Wales Country
- James McManus
- Jarrod Mullen (squad member)
- Tariq Sims
- Kade Snowden
- Akuila Uate
New South Wales Residents
- Chanel Mata'utia
- Nathan Ross (19th man)
New South Wales under-16s
New South Wales under-18s
- Jack Cogger (captain)
- Brodie Jones
- Brock Lamb
New South Wales under-20s
NRL All Stars
- Beau Scott (captain)
- Jeremy Smith
Prime Minister's XIII
- Dane Gagai
- Jake Mamo (train-on squad)
- Jack Stockwell (train-on squad)
Queensland
- Dane Gagai
- Korbin Sims (20th man)
Samoa
Individual honours
Teams and squads
National Youth Competition (NYC) Team of the Year
New South Wales Cup Team of the Year
New South Wales Under-20s Origin Pathways Camp
- Bryce Donovan
- Bradie Smith
- Luke Yates
Queensland Academy of Sport Emerging Origin Squad
Newcastle Knights awards
Player of the Year
- National Rugby League (NRL) Player of the Year: Kurt Gidley
- New South Wales Cup Player of the Year: Lachlan Fitzgibbon
- National Youth Competition (NYC) Player of the Year: Ken Tofilau
Players' Player
- National Rugby League (NRL) Players' Player: Kade Snowden
- New South Wales Cup Players' Player: Honeti Tuha
- National Youth Competition (NYC) Players' Player: Fuaimamao Uta
Coach's Award
- National Rugby League (NRL) Coach's Award: Dane Gagai
- New South Wales Cup Coach's Award: Daniel Saifiti
- National Youth Competition (NYC) Coach's Award: Kerrod Holland