Advisory Board
The Club's owners the Hunter Sports Group appointed a Knights Advisory Board after the takeover. Former captain Paul Harragon is the Chairman of the board and Stephen Crowe, Michael Hagan, Peter Corcoran, Troy Fletcher, Trevor Crow and Matthew Gidley make up the Board in its entirety.
The Advisory Board will be responsible for helping shape the future of the club. The Board collectively have a great grasp and feel for the history, culture and community of Newcastle and the Knights. The Board will additionally be supported by the Knights NRL Coach and Assistant Coach.
Paul Harragon
Paul Harragon played a total of 220 senior games with the Newcastle Knights and representative duties for a Rugby League career than spanned from 1988 to 1999.
Paul was the Knights’ captain from 1995 until he retired in 1999 and led the Knights to victory in the1997 ARL Grand Final and to semi’s in 1996 and 1998.
Paul was the first Knights player chosen to captain Australia. He represented Australia in 17 Tests since debut in 1992, including the Kangaroo Test of Great Britain and France in 1994 and World Cup Tours to England in 1992 and 1995.
The man known as ‘The Chief’ played 20 consecutive State of Origin games for the Blues between 1992-1998 as well as six games for Country Origin.
In the year the Knights won the premiership, Paul won the Ken Stephen Memorial Award for citizenship and services to the game. He received an OAM Award at the Australia Day Awards Ceremony in 2000 and the NSW Children’s Week Award in 2003 in recognition for outstanding service to children. In 2000 he was also an Ambassador for the Olympic Games.
Paul, who was appointed an Official Ambassador for the Hunter in 2000 and inducted into the New South Wales Hall of Fame in 2002, is a patron for the Hunter Medical Research Foundation. He also supports the Starlight Foundation, The Red Cross, The Fred Hollows Foundation, The Two Bishops Trust and Kids Safe in the Hunter.
Paul is currently working in media and promotions.
Matthew Gidley
After a successful playing career, Matthew joined the Knights in 2011 as the Business Development Manager before being appointed the Knights CEO.
The former Knights player has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and also brings a wealth of experience as a player and more recently an administrator at the Knights and during his time in England.
Matthew is only the fourth Newcastle Knight to play more than 200 career games and has won one NRL Premiership with Knights, in 2001 defeating the Parramatta Eels 30-24. At the end of the 2001 NRL Season, Matthew went on the 2001 Kangaroo tour.
In 2006 he retired from representative football, aiming to focus on playing well at club level. Matthew joined English club St Helens in Europe’s Super League as a replacement for Jamie Lyon in 2007 when Lyon returned to Australia with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.
Matthew was named in the Super League Dream Team for the 2008 season and played in the 2008 Super League Grand Final defeat to the Leeds Rhinos.
Stephen Crowe
Stephen was a foundation player with the Newcastle Knights in their inaugural 1988 season.
After a 10 year playing career with the Club, which included the Club’s memorable grand final victory over Manly in 1997, he moved into an off-field career with the Knights.
From 1999 until 2007, Stephen held a number of senior positions with Knights, including Communications Manager and Football Operations Manager. In 2002 and again in 2007 he spent a total of nine months as Acting CEO. He is currently the Manager of Communications and Customer Relations at Port Stephens Council.
Stephen holds two Masters Degrees, both of which he studied for once his playing days were complete - a Master of Human Resources Management and Industrial Relations from Newcastle University and a Master of Organisational Communication from Charles Stuart University.
He brings to the Newcastle Knights a wealth of experience from his time in the National Rugby League and local government.
Michael Hagan
Michael Hagan is the National Project Manager for a locally developed ticketing company PROticket after completing a Masters of Business at Newcastle University in 2009.
Michael is a former Newcastle Knights’ captain and coach who has been involved with the Club for a total of 340 games, in a career spanning 12 seasons.
His achievements have included leading the Club to its first semi-final campaign in 1992 and coaching the team to a Premiership in 2001.
Michael is an Ambassador for the Hunter Prostate Cancer Alliance and assists this non-for profit organisation through fundraising and generating awareness.
After a successful stint with the Canterbury Bulldogs, Michael and his wife, Sue, moved to Newcastle in 1988 where they have raised their three daughters Melissa, Lauren and Danielle.
Peter Corcoran
In a career spanning several decades, Peter is known for his passion and work, in every aspect and at every level, for sport.
A highly qualified and experienced teacher, university lecturer, coach, referee and official, Peter has held a great number of responsible positions at every level of sport and is currently an education and management consultant to many sport and recreation academies, sporting committees and disability sports.
Peter has, amongst other qualifications, a Graduate Diploma in Company Directorship; is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors; was ARL National Education Manager for many years; has been a member of numerous Boards – including the Newcastle Knights, with a wealth of experience – often as Chairman, at state, national and international levels.
Peter is a Life Member of both the NSWRL and Australian Student Rugby League and is a previous NSW Administrator of the Year recipient.
Awarded the Order of Australia for Services to Sport, Peter is the architect of Rugby League’s Mini and Mod League, and has international and national coaching and refereeing qualifications and experience, in both Rugby League and Rugby.
For many years, Peter set the standards for Rugby League’s coaching and refereeing schemes and camps – with over a decade and a half as Head Coach of the ARL’s National Youth Squad.
Through the years, Peter’s efforts have been recognized through his reception of many national and state awards for sport development and education. Peter has worked in sport development in every State and overseas in countries such as USA, UK, Fiji, PNG and Cook Islands.
Troy Fletcher
Troy Fletcher played a total of 97 first grade games for the Newcastle Knights, and has three premierships to his name across the grades during his time at the Club from 1996 to 2001.
Locally born, he was a member of the victorious NRL Knights in 1997; he played in the Knights Reserve Grade win in 1995 as well as the Jersey Flegg win in 1992.
Following Troy’s retirement from the NRL, he captained and coached Western Surburs Newcastlle from 2002-2004, winning Major Premierships in 2002 and 2004.
Troy graduated from the University of Newcastle in 2011 with a Masters of Business Administration.
Trevor Crowe
Trevor graduated from the Newcastle junior ranks to spend twelve years in the First Grade district competition as part of a seventeen year overall career in the code.
During this period he enjoyed the 1986 off-season with Marseille in the French National competition before returning to sign with the St George Dragons for four years between 1987 and 1990.
On Trevor's return to Newcastle in 1991 he embarked on a successful representative career locally.
Each year from 1991 through to 1996 he was selected and captained Newcastle Rep, NSW Country, NSW State Residents and the first and only ever Australian Residents team that contested a match against the New Zealand Test team.
Trevor has been a recipient of the Country Player of the Year award and the Newcastle First Grade competitions Players Player.
In 1996 and at 35 years of age, Trevor retired from playing and turned his attention to the administration aspect of rugby league. 14 years later, he enjoys a continuing commitment as a Board Member to the Newcastle District, Newcastle Knights and the Country Rugby League.