Source: Newcastle Knights

The results of the Knights 2008 election were declared at last night’s Annual General Meeting held at EnergyAustralia Stadium.

The board members are now Tony Butterfield, Paul Harragon, Leigh Maughan, Robert Tew, Mark Fitzgibbon, Peter Corcoran OAM, Allan McKeown with NRL appointees Vince Murphy and Trevor Crow.

The AGM also saw the appointment of four new life members – Danny Buderus, Dr Neil Halpin, Mark Wright, and Bob Hancock.

Source: Newcastle Knights

Modern great, Danny Buderus has announced 2008 will be his last season with the Newcastle Knights.

30-year-old Buderus joined Knights CEO, Steve Burraston and Leeds Rhinos boss, Gary Hetherington at Balance Health Club today to reveal a deal with the English Super League Club that will see him finish his illustrious career in the Old Dart.

“I have been blessed to play professional football in Newcastle for the last 13 years, and I am extremely grateful for the support I have received throughout my career from everyone involved at the Knights” Buderus said

“This is an opportunity to broaden my life and rugby league experiences while fulfilling career ambitions of playing in England”

“While I have mixed emotions that come with knowing my NRL career is coming to an end, the time was right for me and my young family to make this decision. In saying that, I still have a lot more to achieve this year.”

A Taree junior, Buderus emerged in 1997 when he debuted for the Knights against South Queensland under Malcolm Reilly’s mentoring. An NRL Premiership, 24 Tests and 18 Origin’s later, the Newcastle Captain says 2008 is an opportunistic year for the club.

“We have a team capable of getting Newcastle back on track and I will be playing every game as if it’s my last,” he said.

“I feel privileged to captain Newcastle in Rugby League’s Centenary year and I am excited about the prospect of what we can achieve as a team. It’s an honour to wear the blue and red and represent the people of our proud region week in week out.”

The 205 game veteran continues a tradition between Newcastle and Leeds which has seen some of the Knights greatest finish their playing days in the UK including foundation players, Marc Glanville and Brad Godden.

“We are excited about the prospect of Danny joining the World Champions for 2008. With Gareth Ellis joining Wests Tigers next season, an opportunity arose to recruit a world class player for our squad and in Danny Buderus we have signed one of the greatest players in the world,” said Leeds Chief Executive Gary Hetherington.

“Danny has achieved everything in Australia with the Knights, New South Wales and the Kangaroos but now he will be able to fulfil his dream of playing in England and the opportunity play at places like Wembley and Old Trafford with the Rhinos,” added Hetherington.

Commenting on the signing Rhinos Head Coach Brian McClennan, “When I first joined the Rhinos, Danny was the first guy that I thought would really help our team. I thought that was an area that the club could develop in the future, with a two pronged dummy half attack. Danny Buderus is the best hooker in Australia and I am excited about seeing him team up with Matt Diskin.

“The partnership that Danny and Andrew Johns had at the Knights was one of the greatest ever in world Rugby League. The prospect of Danny working alongside Matt Diskin, Rob Burrow, Danny McGuire and Brent Webb is an exciting one for everyone connected with the Rhinos. Having talked to Danny he is excited about the opportunity and we wish him all the best for the 2008 season with the Knights,” added McClennan.

Newcastle Coach, Brian Smith added Buderus has not only re-written the modern hooking role, his influence on Newcastle will leave a lasting legacy.

“He plays at a level others aspire to and has set the benchmark in a lot of areas of play around his own position. There’s very few players, even in an era who can do that,” said Smith.

“To be honest I think Bedsy is well set to have a great year under any circumstances. Knowing what he’s like and what the other boys and the whole of the Newcastle area think about him, this is just another reason for everyone to apply themselves to send Danny out on the best possible note.”

A long time friend and junior coach of Buderus, Newcastle CEO, Steve Burraston said the star hookers decision comes with the full endorsement of his club.

“When you think of the names synonymous with our club, Danny Buderus is at the top of the list. He represents everything Newcastle is about and has nothing left to prove. He’s achieved everything the game has to offer and earned his place in Rugby League history as one of the greatest players of all time,” he said.

“When Danny indicated he would like to finish his career in England we did everything we could to make it happen. We’re thrilled he is joining Leeds because he deserves the very best.

“Danny has been one of Newcastle city’s greatest ambassadors for more than a decade. I expect our supporters to turn out in masses this season to show what he means to our club and our town and to repay him for years of unforgettable entertainment – beginning this Saturday when he leads Newcastle into battle against the Raiders.”

Source: Newcastle Knights

Newcastle Knights player, Terence Seu Seu has been suspended from all club duties, effective immediately, following a failed random breath test early yesterday morning.

Seu Seu will now be required to front an urgent board meeting to determine his future at the club.

A meeting of the Knights Disciplinary Committee consisting of the CEO, Football Manager and Board Executive determined the 20-year-old has a case to answer and will be given every opportunity to present his case, with representation, to the Board this week.

The full Board meeting will be organised within five days but could be as early as tomorrow, pending the availability of Terence’s legal representative.

The Knights scored a clean sweep today with match results, winning all five of their matches played.

At the trial games held at Cessnock the Knights NYC side defeated the Sharks 28-24, NSW Cup Central Knights defeated the Sharks 30-16 and in NRL the Knights came from behind to narrowly defeat the Sharks 26-24.

Meanwhile at EnergyAustralia Stadium our junior sides took on the Wests Magpies with Harold Matthews coming out 48-26 victors and SG Ball 46-28.

Source: Newcastle Knights

The NRL has today released full scheduling details for one of the highlight rounds of the Centenary season.

One hundred years on from the April 20 kick-off that started it all in 1908, the Harvey Norman Heritage Round will bring together teams in a series of history-based ‘head to head’ encounters.

Clubs will wear special heritage jerseys and face rivals based on the era in which they entered the competition.

Wests Tigers will play South Sydney at the historic SCG while, in another clash that dates back to 1908, Newcastle will wear the red and white colours of their 1908-1909 season against the Sydney Roosters when they clash at Gosford’s Bluetongue Stadium.

The Heritage Round kicks off on Friday, April 18, with two blockbuster Sydney and Brisbane derby matches.

The Eels and Sea Eagles, who joined the competition in 1947, will renew their great rivalry at Parramatta Stadium while the Gold Coast and Brisbane – teams that first entered the premiership in 1988 – will clash at the Titans’ new home ground, Skilled Park.

The Dragons and Bulldogs, who first entered the competition in 1921 and 1935 respectively, face off at ANZ Stadium in another classic all-Sydney clash.

The Sharks and Panthers, who entered the competition in 1967, clash at Toyota Stadium while the Cowboys and Warriors, who joined in 1995, do battle at Dairy Farmers Stadium in Townsville.

The round culminates on Monday, April 21, with premiers Melbourne travelling to Canberra to tackle the Raiders.

Source: Newcastle Knights

Talented Newcastle Knights utility, Todd Polglase has announced his retirement following a recurring battle with a hamstring injury.

Polglase, 26, broke the news to team mates and coaching staff at training this morning.

“I would like to thank the club for its patience and for giving me every opportunity to overcome my injury but I had to make a decision that was right for the future, Polglase said.”

“I intend to take some time away from football and consider my options before moving onto the next chapter of my life.”

A Knights junior, Polglase joined the Bulldogs early in his senior career debuting against Newcastle at EnergyAustralia Stadium in 2002. He spent two seasons at South Sydney from 2004 before moving back to Newcastle in 2007, scoring three tries in seven First Grade appearances.

Knights Coach, Brian Smith said Polglase leaves a void in the club’s senior playing ranks.

“It’s a sad day. We haven’t just lost a good player, he’s a tremendously popular player – a real footy player’s player, he said.”

“In the games he played at the front end of last season he won everyone’s respect. He’s tough beyond his own limitations and certainly his own welfare. Sometimes he was prepared to do jobs others wouldn’t do and he’s selfless in terms of playing any position you wanted him to.”

“It’s hurt him badly and he’s really upset about forced retirement but he still fronted up this morning to tell the boys.”

“I’m hoping when he feels it’s appropriate we can find a way for him to be involved with the club. I think he has some talents that we’d suggest he might make a good coach but whatever it is he wants to do we would certainly be keen to help out.”

NEWCASTLE are facing a battle to keep Kurt Gidley, with South Sydney to chase the representative star.

While Knights officials are expected to commence negotiations with Gidley next week, the Rabbitohs have already placed the 25-year-old – who is officially off contract at the end of 2009 but has a clause in his favour which effectively makes him a free agent at the end of next season – at the top of their hit-list for 2009, along with Parramatta’s Test and Origin fullback Jarryd Hayne.

The Rabbitohs have already expressed an interest in the Test player, and while Gidley yesterday maintained a desire to continue his career with the Knights, he did add: "This contract’s probably the most important of my career. I’ll be 26 next year and I’d like something pretty good. When you get to this point in their career, you like something long term and something pretty healthy. It’s early days, but there’s an option in my favour, which is good."

The Rabbitohs have made no secret of their desire to snare Hayne to the club for which his father, Manoa Thompson, played. What is not clear is whether the Rabbitohs would be in a position to bring both Hayne and Gidley to the club.

However, they do face an uphill task in trying to lure Gidley out of Newcastle. His manager Darryl Mather stressed he would give the Knights every opportunity to secure him long-term.

"I’ll be discussing everything with Newcastle first, and everything
with Newcastle last," he said. "Everyone else can maybe have a shot in
between.

"The Gidley name is a big part of Newcastle, and I want to make it very
clear – I’ll be holding discussions with Newcastle in the very near
future about a long-term arrangement. I managed Matt his whole career
and it’s a strong brand name in Newcastle. That’s something that won’t
be diluted.

Asked yesterday how important the re-signing of Gidley was to the
Knights, coach Brian Smith said: "It’s very important, but I take all
that [speculation] with a grain of salt."

It came on a day the Knights were forced to go to extraordinary lengths
to scotch rumours they were set to lose another of their stars in
hooker and co-captain Danny Buderus.

The club issued a statement yesterday denying that Buderus had
requested a release after speculation surfaced that he would rejoin his
old coach Michael Hagan at Parramatta next season and that he had
clashed with his current boss, Smith, on Tuesday.

"My entire focus is on the Newcastle Knights and that’s where I’ll be
playing," Buderus said. "I have no idea where these rumours are coming
from. I’m contracted, I’m training and I’m 100 per cent committed to
the Newcastle Knights."

Buderus is considering quitting the club at the end of 2008 to play in the UK, however, chief executive Steve Burraston said he would not be granted a release any earlier.

"We wouldn’t allow him to go," Burraston said. "He’s under contract for us obviously next season and there’s an option for the year after. There’s a possibility he may go to England [in 2009], but I had a talk to him a couple of weeks ago and he hasn’t given up on rep football next year.

"He probably wasn’t in the right frame of mind last season but he came back to training a week or so ago and he was saying how good it was … he certainly hasn’t mentioned anything to me [about wanting out].

"He’s very much one of those guys who’s extremely loyal."

Smith was also baffled, saying: "I wouldn’t even glorify that with a response. It’s just too ridiculous to respond to rubbish like that."

Eels officials said last night they were not pursuing Buderus for 2009.

The Rabbitohs’ bold bid for Gidley comes as co-captain Peter Cusack weighs up whether to accept an upgraded offer to join English Super League club Hull FC a year before his contract expires.

After discussions with his manager Martin Tauber yesterday, the 30-year-old is expected to make a final decision today.

The Rabbitohs are expected to agree to a release.

ST George Illawarra have pulled out of the race to sign disgruntled Bulldogs prop Willie Mason after today agreeing to terms with former Newcastle backrower Kirk Reynoldson for the 2008 season.

The one-year deal ends three months of hell for Reynoldson, unwanted by the Knights after a dispute with coach Brian Smith. Reynoldson will meet his new teammates for the first time tomorrow in Wollongong.

"It’s going to be great to have a fresh start at the Dragons,” the 28-year-old said in a statement. "It’s great to be joining a club that is so rich in history in the game’s centenary year.”

The signing comes as the Dragons said they had withdrawn from negotiations with Mason because the parties "could not agree on commercial terms going forward”.

Meanwhile, English Super League club Wigan have rubbished talk they were interested in the Test prop’s signature, leaving NRL clubs Cronulla and Sydney Roosters as the only clubs left in the race.

"He’s a player that everybody would be interested in but how could we
afford the player within the salary cap?” Wigan owner Ian Lenagan told
League Express newspaper.

"It’s nonsense, I’ve seen figures of $3 million over five years. We
have to be financially realistic and the story is a complete
fabrication. We have made no offer.”

Mason has been allowed to negotiate with other NRL clubs after an ongoing feud with Bulldogs chief executive Malcolm Noad.

Reynoldson needed to play 15 games for Newcastle this year to trigger a
new $196,500 contract for 2008, but fell just 80 minutes short after
being dropped by Smith.

"Kirk is a tough aggressive player who will boost our backrow stocks as
well as add a lot of experience to the squad,” said Dragons coach
Nathan Brown. "He is a popular bloke in the game and I’m sure he’ll
help the younger guys along the way.”

Despite joining the Dragons, Reynoldson will continue with legal action
against the Knights, claiming the club should have honoured his 2008
deal.

Hull KR are set to sign Melbourne Storm enforcer Clint Newton after he was forced out of the Australian club by a salary-cap squeeze.

Newton, a key member of the Storm’s 2007 NRL team, has announced he will join the mass of Australian stars playing in England after agreeing to a two-year deal with the engage Super League club.

The move will complete a rollercoaster six months for the 26-year-old back-rower, who joined the Storm mid-season following a public spat with Newcastle Knights coach Brian Smith.

Newton is disappointed to be leaving the Storm but is excited by his next challenge.

"I’ve had a great time at the Storm and I’ll always be grateful they gave me the chance to continue playing in the NRL when I left Newcastle," Newton said.

"I can’t speak highly enough of the club and if there’s a chance of playing for them again in the future, I’d definitely be interested."

Newton has been released after fellow Melbourne back-rower Jeremy Smith rejected a lucrative three-year offer from the St George-Illawarra Dragons.

THE Newcastle Knights and the NRL were last night forced to defend explosive allegations of salary cap rorting after a detailed email was sent to every club chief executive.

Former Knights financial controller Brad Newton attached an 18-page document listing stunning claims of salary cheating at the club dating back to 2000.

The Daily Telegraph also obtained a series of emotional emails exchanged between Newton and Knights chairman Peter Corcoran.

But NRL chief David Gallop and the Knights management last night vehemently denied Newton’s allegations.

Gallop was forced to respond to all 16 clubs with a strongly worded letter of denial.

Corcoran said: "I’m not sure what Brad is on about to be truthful – all the particular incidents have been investigated and solved. It’s all been put to bed."