THE RIVALRY: WARRIORS V KNIGHTS
The Warriors took control of their rivalry with Newcastle once 'Joey' was out of the picture, while the Knights played the fall guys in one of our greatest occasions in 2023.
The Warriors were largely at the mercy of the mercurial Andrew Johns during the first decade of their rivalry with the Knights, but they have turned the tables on the Novacastrians since to nudge ahead on the overall head-to-head tally.
Overall record: Played 53 – Warriors won 27, Newcastle won 25, draws 1; Warriors scored 1,185 points, Newcastle scored 1,114 points.
Biggest wins: Warriors – 52-10 at Mt Smart Stadium, 2007; Newcastle – 48-6 at Marathon Stadium, 1995.
Longest winning streaks: Warriors – 5 matches (2009-11); Newcastle – 4 matches (twice – 1995-98 and 2000-02).
Finals: 1 – Warriors won 1.
Most appearances: Simon Mannering (Warriors) – 23; Manu Vatuvei (Warriors) – 19; Danny Buderus (Newcastle) – 17; Kurt Gidley (Newcastle) – 17; Shaun Johnson (Warriors) – 17; Dane Gagai (Newcastle) – 16; Steve Simpson (Newcastle) – 16; Mitch Barnett (Warriors) – 15; Jacob Lillyman (Warriors) – 15; Ben Matulino (Warriors) – 15; Jarrod Mullen (Newcastle) – 15; Matt Gidley (Newcastle) – 14; Andrew Johns (Newcastle) – 14; Stacey Jones (Warriors) – 14; Jacob Saifiti (Newcastle) – 14;
Most tries: Manu Vatuvei (Warriors) – 19; Adam MacDougall (Newcastle) – 13; David Fusitu’a (Warriors) – 11; Andrew Johns (Newcastle) – 9; Adam Pompey (Warriors) – 9; James McManus (Newcastle) – 8; Timana Tahu (Newcastle) – 8; Clinton Toopi (Warriors) – 8.
Most points: Andrew Johns (Newcastle) – 155; Shaun Johnson (Warriors) – 98; Kurt Gidley (Newcastle) – 76; Manu Vatuvei (Warriors) – 76; Adam MacDougall (Newcastle) – 52; Adam Pompey (Warriors) – 48; James Maloney (Warriors) – 46.
1995-2004 – Warriors’ harsh lessons in the school of ‘Joey’
The teething problems the fledgling Auckland Warriors had with making the trek across the Tasman every fortnight were never better exemplified than during their maiden visit to Newcastle in 1995. A baying 22,136-strong Marathon Stadium crowd watched the Knights romp to a 48-6 win in the Round 9 clash, after leading 18-0 at the break.
Centre Nathan Barnes scored a hat-trick, while sophomore halfback Andrew Johns booted nine goals as Newcastle racked up a club record ninth straight win. Fullback Phil Blake scored the Warriors’ only try, his 11th in nine games. It was third time in four away games the Warriors had conceded 40 points, while the Hunter humiliation remained the Warriors’ biggest loss until 2000.
A John Kirwan double wasn’t enough to thwart the Knights on their initial voyage to Auckland, with winger Keith Beauchamp’s two tries helping the visitors to a 22-18 win. The clubs were on opposite sides of the Super League-ARL divide in 1997, but when they reunited under the NRL banner in 1998, the Knights powered to a 33-4 home victory in Round 2 that saw each of the back-five cross for a try.
The teams met again just five weeks later at Mt Smart, but the Knights’ Johns brothers, Andrew and Matthew, orchestrated a 38-14 success over a Warriors side that had eight players backing up from the Kiwis’ Anzac Test triumph just two days earlier.
