A quarter of a century after pulling on the red and blue as a player, Justin Holbrook is coming back to Newcastle - this time as the man tasked with restoring the Knights' fortunes as their new head coach.
Holbrook has inherited a club in crisis. A late-season collapse so drastic that it was enough to earn the wooden spoon, was a sobering reminder of how far the once-proud club has fallen since its premiership glories of 1997 and 2001.
For many coaches, stepping into such a situation would feel like a poisoned chalice. For Holbrook, however, it feels familiar.
"When I went to the Titans they were in a similar position [to the Knights]," he told SEN 1170.
"They’d come last, second-last, third-last the previous years and I was good enough to get them to ninth and eighth the first couple of years."
That resilience will be critical at the Knights. Holbrook's tenure on the Gold Coast ended in disappointment, but his early achievements - turning perennial cellar-dwellers into a competitive finals hopeful - showed his ability to instil structure and belief in struggling sides.
He sees Newcastle as another opportunity to do just that, though this time under very different circumstances.
"I enjoyed my time at the Gold Coast, obviously it didn’t finish great," he said.
"But when I went there I had come back from England and I didn’t know the staff or any of the players.
"This time around I’m heading up to Newcastle and I already know some of the staff that are there. I already know a lot of the ex-players that live up there."
While Holbrook only played five first-grade games for the Knights, his brief stint left an impression - one that has grown through the relationships he's maintained with former teammates and Hunter-based ex-players.
That network, coupled with his understanding of the city's culture, gives him a valuable advantage.
"I have great memories from my time up there as a player," he said.
"Just having that connection up there and having mates that live up there. Past players reaching out and saying ‘congratulations’... I think it’s really important."
For Holbrook, the chance to coach Newcastle carries a different weight to his previous stops.
"It’s a rugby league city, the fans are turning up and I’m excited by it," he said.
"It’s a great opportunity for myself to turn it around."
That connection with the community is not just sentimentality - it's the cornerstone of how Holbrook plans to rebuild.
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Central to Holbrook's philosophy is the belief that the Knights must return to their roots: producing and developing their own players.
The club's greatest successes, from the days of Andrew Johns and Paul Harragon, was built on nurturing the Hunter's home-grown talent.
"You’ve got so many to choose from and the idea is that you’ve got to make sure that you nail the right ones," he said.
"I’ve just got to definitely show interest in it. Obviously, I’ve got to coach the NRL side, but I’ve got to be across the whole club."
Holbrook sees signs of progress already, pointing to the club's decision to expand its development staff and increase its presence in the region.
"The Knights are doing a big job already putting a lot more staff on which is going to give you more presence," he said.
"We want to get back to getting 60-70 per cent local kids and then if you’re going to bring someone in, make sure they’re like a Ben Kennedy that’s going to make a huge difference.
"It’s not just Newcastle - it’s right up to Coffs Harbour and Muswellbrook, getting all those guys that are in the Hunter and getting them to come to the Knights."
His development-first mindset draws on lessons that he learned during his time as an assistant with the Sydney Roosters this year.
"When you’ve got them at training, it’s a matter of doing a heap of skill work, a heap of education, and that’s what I learned the most out of the Roosters," he said.
Holbrook's appointment marks more than just a coaching change - it signals an attempt from powerbrokers at the club to realign the Knights with the values that once made them a powerhouse.
It's a daunting task, but Holbrook insists that he is ready for the job this time around.
"I’m really confident and really excited about getting up to Newcastle."