Knights will be a sell out according to SMH:
NRL sellout for cellar-dweller Newcastle
August 9, 2005 - 6:24PM
Everyone loves a winner - or in the case of Newcastle's rabid rugby league fans, a wooden spoon contender.
Despite the dead-last Knights being short-priced favourites to collect the NRL club's first wooden spoon, a ground record of 26,000 has been predicted for Newcastle's clash against sixth-placed Manly on Sunday.
Newcastle chief executive Ken Conway said the Knights looked set to host their first sell-out crowd at the redeveloped EnergyAustralia Stadium after unprecedented sales.
It is an impressive effort considering Newcastle has only won five games all season and began 2005 with 13 straight losses.
Despite its horror season run, Newcastle still averages 17,243 a game - sixth overall in the league ahead of top eight teams Parramatta, Cronulla, Manly, Melbourne and St George Illawarra.
Conway said Newcastle was buzzing after fit-again star halfback Andrew Johns had led the Knights to five wins in their last seven games, including a last round upset over defending premiers the Bulldogs.
ng as our biggest home crowd this year," Conway said.
"One of the things that we are very lucky to have in Newcastle is that our fans are educated.
"They knew we had a quality squad at the start of the year, they knew we were very wounded.
"They stayed loyal in the hope that we would get a quality team back on the park before the year ended, and that's happened.
"And now our team has started to reward our fans' loyalty over the last five to six weeks."
Former Kiwi international prop Craig Smith, who came out of retirement this year to help the injury-ravaged Knights, said he had not seen support like it in his 10-year first grade career.
"I've never been to a place where you've lost 13 in a row and there's 20,000 bums on seats every week - we'd like to go out there and put on a decent show for them," he said.
The Knights have been bolstered by the return of former Test centre Matt Gidley (groin) and could add his brother, pivot Kurt, who is also battling a groin injury.
"Kurt would have to convince us that he's close to 90 or 100 per cent and then we will see what we can sort out assuming Matt Gidley is right to go as well - we will certainly use him if we need to," coach Michael Hagan said.
"We are still hopeful Matt Gidley will get back on the field this week.
(Prop) Josh Perry (groin) is still in some doubt, we will give him the benefit of the week to get him right.
"It's such an important game for us, we want our best players on the field."
Hagan has named Adam Woolnough on the bench on standby for Perry while Matt White is also on a six-man bench "as insurance" for Clint Newton who fronts the NRL judiciary on Wednesday night for a grade one dangerous throw charge.
But there are no concerns over the fitness of injury-plagued Johns.
Newcastle club doctor Neil Halpin said he had no problem with Johns extending his season by linking with English club Warrington for up to six games before chiming into Australia's Tri-Nations campaign.
"I think it is the fittest I have ever seen Andrew. What can you say about his form, he is going through an Indian summer," he said.
"I don't want to jinx him but he is looking very fit, looking very well and very motivated."
© 2005 AAP
