Adam O’Brien is all set up to become the longest serving Newcastle Knights coach ever after agreeing to a new three-year deal that will see him lead the Hunter club through to at least the end of the 2027 season.
O’Brien, 46, has already led the Knights for 96 games and with this extension—which just needs a signature on the dotted line at this stage—will just put him over Michael Hagan’s 155 matches in charge with a few caps to spare.
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The Knights have been eager to re-sign O’Brien since his squad staged a huge charge into the NRL finals at the end of 2023. Crowds poured out to watch the revival, which was sparked in part by Dally M medallist Kalyn Ponga hitting an all-new level, and club owners The Wests Group really loved what they saw.
The turns in fortune saw the Knights finish fifth with 14 wins and make the semifinals.
Wests chief executive Philip Gardner went public with how the negotiations were going earlier this week, telling Novocastrian media things were nearly wrapped up, with only final hurdles to leap.
“We’ve very close [to a deal]. We’ve basically agreed to terms,” Gardner told the Newcastle Herald on Sunday, before things progressed further behind the scenes. “The board has ratified it, [but] I’ve got to get it signed. It will be very, very soon. Definitely before our first home game.
“My expectation is he’ll sign a three-year extension. We have an agreement in-principle.”
