Newcastle Knights players unaware of key duo departing

Melissa Woods | July 15, 2025

Newcastle players are in the dark about the future of coach Adam O’Brien and superstar Kalyn Ponga, with centre Bradman Best saying they haven’t heard anything about the duo departing the club.

Sitting 13th on the NRL ladder with just six wins, there are reports O’Brien will be shown the door at season’s end despite making the finals in four of the last five years.

Ponga still has two years left on his deal, but the Knights captain has been linked to a lucrative proposed breakaway rugby union competition in the northern hemisphere.

“There’s a bit going on outside these four walls, but I guess that’s the media and it comes with the job,” Best said on Tuesday.

“Us and the playing group haven’t looked too much into it.

“We all know it’s a business at the end of the day; coach is still coaching, KP (Ponga) is still here.

“Until it comes from them, then we’ll know – I haven’t heard anything.”

Striving for their third title and first since 2001, Best hoped Ponga will decide to see out his contract, particularly with playmaker Dylan Brown joining the club next year from Parramatta.

The club has struggled in attack this season, sitting way down the bottom of the ladder in points scored.

But he understood the gun fullback needed to make whatever call suited his future.

“He’s a big part of the club and he’s our captain, but it’s his decision,” the 23-year-old said.

“I’ve been here the whole time he’s been here so we have a bit of a connection, but if he does go we have other fullbacks like Sharpey (Fletcher Sharpe) and Fletcher Hunt and other lads to do the job.

“If he stays then he stays.”

Taking over the club in 2020, O’Brien’s future is also uncertain despite denials from the Knights head office.

Ahead of their home clash with the Warriors on Sunday, Best said all the players could do to save his job was to start winning.

“We’ve been here before and we always hear that coach’s head is on the chopping block, but he’s still here today,” Best said.

“We’ve just got to keep on winning and there’s still finals footy to play.

“It’s been a bit of an up and down season, but we’re building, we’re all connected, and we’ll get our way out of it.

“There are good young lads coming through and a good core group of us who are still here, signed for a few more years, so I’m definitely thinking positively about the future.”