THE easy thing for Nathan Tinkler to do would be to saunter into Ausgrid Stadium tomorrow like he owns the joint and ask: "Don't you know who I am? I own this joint."
But that's not how the mining magnate rolls.
Instead, the big fella will watch his first match as owner of the Knights with a couple of mates, with a couple of beers, on television at home because he wants to divert attention from himself.
When Tinkler failed to front Thursday night's extraordinary general meeting, when Knights members emphatically voted in favour of him buying the club, it raised eyebrows.
Like the voice from Charlie's Angels, like the bad guy from the Bond movies stroking a white Persian cat, Tinkler is rarely sighted. Few know of his location.
Indeed, there was mass confusion about where he was on Thursday night. At home in Merewether? Somewhere else in NSW doing business? Overseas?
Tinkler's approach is in stark contrast to that of actor Russell Crowe and businessman Peter Holmes a Court when they seized control of the South Sydney Rabbitohs five years ago.
They were front and centre of the campaign, but for Tinkler it's never been about him.
And while that sounds like typical PR guff it merely reflects that he wants to provide the good rugby league folk of Newcastle and the Hunter with a club that doesn't have to continually punch above its weight.
Tinkler was again shunning the spotlight yesterday. The best we could squeeze out of him was this statement: "The Knights are a massive part of the fabric of Newcastle. I believe the community deserves to have strong, competitive sporting teams on the national stage who work together and are well managed with the resources to win premierships. The best interests of the Newcastle community will always be at the top of our agenda at the Knights."
So now what?
Chief executive Steve Burraston is surely a dead man walking, and we've heard former Knights Tony Butterfield and Michael Hagan are possible candidates to fill his office.
Tinkler is sweating on a reply from Wayne Bennett about whether he wants to join the revolution, but it will be a shock if the Dragons' master coach goes anywhere but the Broncos.
However, of greater concern is the team itself.
There's talk of a "three-to-five-week" transition period.
That could be too long for hopeful signings like Jamal Idris, or the retention of loaded guns such as Junior Sau.
As Crowe found out when he took ownership of Souths, there's no business like rugby league business like no business he knows.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/first-knight-in-front-of-the-box/story-e6frfgbo-1226032273946
