Whenever you pile on 70 points in 80 minutes of footy, you know you’ve had a good day at the office.
Just ask the Newcastle Knights, who set a Club record in the second round of the 2006 season with a 70-32 annihilation of the Raiders at Canberra Stadium.
It’s a result that now sits proudly in the history books as Newcastle's highest score, while the combined game total of 102 points is an all-time rugby league record for most points in a match.
Meanwhile, only five teams have scored more points in a game. St George, 91pts in 1935, Eastern Suburbs, 87pts in 1935, Parramatta, 74pts in 2003, Canberra, 74pts in 2008 and Penrith, 72pts in 2004.
When you consider those stats, it puts the Knights' achievement well and truly into perspective.
As we head into Saturday's crucial clash against the Raiders in Canberra, we thought it would be fitting to take a look back at that memorable day in 2006.
And we didn't have to look far for inspiration.
Six members from that side, if you include assistant coach Rick Stone, are still involved with the Club in an official capacity.
From CEO Matt Gidley through to NYC manager Craig Smith and the recently retired Danny Buderus and Anthony Quinn, that 06' side are well represented at Knights HQ.
Current Club captain Kurt Gidley is the only member of that team still playing today.
The dominant 38-point win was a huge result for every player that day, but prop Craig Smith has the fondest memories.
Smith was in the final year of his 12-year career in 06' and took great pleasure taking part in such a comprehensive win, especially after the tough times of taking home the wooden spoon the year before.
“It was great to be a senior statesman that day and sit back and see the skills of what a great rugby league team can do," Smith recalls.
“Because I think the first Club record I was involved in was 13 straight losses the year before when we won the wooden spoon.
“That was also one of my most enjoyable years in rugby league to be able to watch a young side that we had learn how to fight and be competitive again.
“And I guess that showed in round 2 of the 2006 season with a club record with number of points scored.
“There was a real good mix of maturity and youth though.
“To be a part of 70 points in any game of rugby league is a fair effort, but to do it in Canberra was special."
Smith also remembers the warm Canberra conditions that day, which was a rarity given the nation's capital is usually cold to the bone.
“The first thing I remember was the heat of Canberra, which you don’t normally get when you’re playing rugby league in winter," he says.
“It’s normally a cold place and a hard place to take two points from.
"The Raiders were first to score and then we unleashed J.Johns, D.Buderus, both Gidley brothers and Steve Simpson.
“Then there was a whole raft of younger players coming through the Knights.
“Blokes like Josh Perry, Reegan Tanner, George Carmont, Milton Thaiday and Anthony Quinn."
Looking back at the match now after nine years, Smith jokes that it makes you realise time stops for no one.
“It makes you think about your age a little bit," he grins.
“It’s a little bit surreal I guess.
“But the joyful thing about it is you’re still mixing with like-minded people.
“And that this game of rugby league can still afford you a future after you’ve finished playing."
Rick Stone was assistant coach under Michael Hagan that day and he also has fantastic memories of the mauling of the Raiders in Canberra.
Stone says the whole team performed well, but he was left amazed by the freakish skills of halfback and captain Andrew Johns.
"I remember Joey being at the peak of his powers and just really running the show," Stone recalls.
"The Knights at the time had a fairly senior playing group with Joey at the head of it.
"They’d been together for a long time and knew each others games really well, so when the broken field stuff came about they just had a six sense of where to be.
"But Joey did some real remarkable stuff that Hags and I were shaking our heads about and thinking, ‘well that’s why he is the best player in the game.
"But it wasn’t just Joey that day though, there were a lot of really good performers."
Canberra has never been a happy hunting ground for Newcastle, with only four wins in the capital since the Club's inception in 1988.
It's a dim record that makes the Knights' effort in 2006 even more special according to Stone.
“We’d always struggled to win in Canberra, so to do it at that magnitude was a bit surreal and it blew everyone away," he says.
“Everyone was that zapped after the game given the heat that day.
“I think looking back, it was a unique performance to have over 100 points scored in an NRL game and having a win in Canberra.
“So it was a good day at the office for the Knights.”
Canberra Stadium, Sunday, March 19, 3pm.
Round 2, 2006 NRL Premiership
Newcastle 70 (G. Carmont 2, A. Johns 2, K. Gidley 2, A. Quinn, T. Lowrie, R. Tanner, M. Gidley, R. Brown, S. Simpson tries; A. Johns 11 goals) defeated Canberra 32 (W. Zillman 2, P. Graham 2, T. Thompson, A. Tongue tries; T. Carney 4 goals)
Newcastle Knights: 1. Milton Thaiday, 2. Brian Carney, 3. Matthew Gidley, 4.George Carmont, 5. Anthony Quinn, 6. Kurt Gidley, 7. Andrew Johns (c), 8. Craig Smith, 9. Danny Buderus, 10. Josh Perry, 11. Steve Simpson, 12. Kirk Reynoldson 13. Reegan Tanner, Interchange: 14. Adam Woolnough, 15. Daniel Tolar, 16. Riley Brown, 17. Todd Lowrie
Coach: Michael Hagan
