Knights lock in new coach to revive wood spooners with Cheika hopping codes to fill Sydney emptiness
The Newcastle Knights have settled on their new coach, with Justin Holbrook successful the race to switch Adam O’Brien.
The previous Gold Coast coach had led an inventory of candidates to switch Adam O’Brien, with Knights assistant Blake Inexperienced and St George Illawarra assistant Dean Younger among the many different choices.
However the struggling membership confirmed after a board assembly on Monday evening that former Newcastle halfback Holbrook would return to NRL teaching subsequent yr, lower than three years after being fired by the Titans.
The appointment, which features a three-year deal, was made on the advice of a five-member subcommittee that included the membership’s final premiership-winning coach Michael Hagan.
“Following a radical choice course of, Justin was unanimously chosen as one of the best candidate to steer the membership into a brand new period,” the Knights mentioned in an announcement.
“We congratulate Justin on his appointment and look ahead to his graduation as Knights head coach as soon as his present commitments are fulfilled.”
Since leaving the Titans, Holbrook has labored on the Sydney Roosters as assistant to go coach Trent Robinson.
The 49-year-old had been contracted with the Tricolours till the top of subsequent season however Robinson beforehand indicated the membership would allow him to go away for a head teaching job.
Holbrook had a 37.8 per cent win-rate throughout three seasons at Gold Coast, however led the perennial strugglers to their most up-to-date finals berth in 2021.
Justin Holbrook (Picture by Dave Howarth/PA Pictures by way of Getty Pictures)
He was controversially axed by the Titans in mid-2023 whereas the membership was nonetheless in finals competition, to clear the best way for Des Hasler’s finally ill-fated stint.
Earlier than that, Holbrook coached English facet St Helens between 2017 and 2019, successful coach of the yr in his remaining season and guiding the facet to grand remaining glory.
At worldwide stage, Holbrook coached Papua New Guinea for 3 video games in 2023.
He can be tasked with restoring hope to a Knights facet that endured a dismal 2025 marketing campaign, posting the worst attacking file within the league and conceding 66 factors of their remaining recreation of the season.
O’Brien’s departure was introduced with two video games to play in his sixth season on the helm.
On high of Holbrook’s to-do checklist can be getting one of the best out of marquee recruit Dylan Brown, who arrives on the membership in 2026 on record-breaking cash.
Holbrook made his NRL debut on the Knights, the place he was understudy to Andrew Johns, and has an understanding of what makes the footy-mad metropolis of Newcastle tick.
That connection, alongside along with his famous skills as an attack-minded coach with robust man administration abilities, have earned him one other likelihood at teaching an NRL membership that wants recent concepts.
Former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika had additionally proven curiosity within the job, however has now been linked to the Roosters as a full-time assistant, changing Holbrook, having beforehand labored for the membership.
with AAP
