NEWCASTLE will buck the modern trend of NRL under lights by starting next season with four of their first five games on Sunday afternoons, including a mouth-watering home opener against reigning premiers Manly at EnergyAustralia Stadium on April 5.
The Knights kick off their 22nd crusade with three straight road games, against the Titans at Skilled Park (Sunday, March 15), Sharks at Toyota Stadium (Monday, March 23) and Rabbitohs at Bluetongue Stadium (Sunday, March 29) due to renovations at EAS.
They return home for back-to-back Sunday afternoon dates with arch rivals Manly (April 5) and surprise semi-finalists the Warriors (April 12).
Late summer heat and humidity could be a factor against the Gold Coast as the game is scheduled for a 1pm Queensland kick-off to align with live coverage at 2pm (AEST) on pay-TV.
But Knights chief executive Steve Burraston claimed a victory of sorts, having campaigned for more daylight home matches for the past two years after only three in 2007 and four this year.
"We've lobbied pretty hard to the NRL last year and again this year to tell them that Newcastle appreciates Sunday afternoon football, so it's fabulous that [NRL chief operating officer] Graham Annesley and his team have responded and given us two Sundays for our first two home games," Burraston said.
"I'm sure we'll do well on the road in those first three weeks then it will be fabulous to come home for our first home game against Manly, the premiers, a side we love to play against, and we'll be playing for the Malcolm Reilly Trophy as well and that always has a special build-up.
"Sunday afternoon, EnergyAustralia Stadium, Knights against Manly, it couldn't get any better."
Burraston said inclement weather had slowed progress on the new dressing rooms in the north-western corner and the refurbishment of the western grandstand but he was confident the ground would be ready to accommodate an expected bumper crowd for the Manly game.
"We're still working to plan and hopefully we'll have all the seating that we should have available by that first game," he said.
"The only thing that could possibly stop that is a lot more bad weather between now and then."
He said the capacity would be reduced to around 23,000 while work on the western stand continued next year "but that shouldn't really be an issue".
"If you took out 2006, when we averaged about 22,000 people, our season average has been around 18,000 or 19,000 for most years. We get the occasional spike but over the course of a season, we should be OK," he said.
"The biggest difficulty we have is relocating people from the western stand to like seats in the Andrew Johns stand, or corporate boxes in the western stand trying to find suitable boxes in the Andrew Johns stand or the northern or southern hills that will keep those clients satisfied.
"That's just a logistical issue but I'm pretty confident everything will work well, and the Hunter Venues authority have been terrific. Between our own staff and Hunter Venues, logistically we'll be in tune and I don't think there will be too many issues."
Beaten grand finalists Melbourne will host the Wayne Bennett-led Dragons at Olympic Park in the first game of the season on Friday, March 13, while Bennett's old club, Brisbane, welcome the Cowboys to Suncorp Stadium in a Queensland derby to complete the opening night double-header.
Bennett's new side will run out in front of the Nine cameras in four of the opening five rounds.
Parramatta, who did not even make the top eight, will feature in three of the opening five weekends on free-to-air the same number as premiers Manly.
, i also think that it be best if they stay home next year. :lol: Although i might try to get to the game at Skilled Park, if I can get the time off work, that is.
