Newcastle Knights' favourite son, Danny Buderus has been inducted into The Newcastle Knights Hall of Fame recognising an incredible career filled with countless representative highlights and Club achievements.
Buderus was inducted alongside Mark Sargent and Tony Butterfield who join the likes of Matt Gidley, Michael Hagan, Paul Harragon, Andrew Johns and the late Allan McMahon.
Danny Buderus left no stone unturned in a career that scaled the greatest heights.
He captained Newcastle, NSW and Australia, won the 2001 NRL premiership with the Knights and in 2004 won the Dally M Medal as rugby league’s best and fairest player.
Returning to the Knights in 2012 for a second stint after three years in England with Leeds Rhinos, Buderus retired at the end of 2013 as the most capped player in Knights history with 257 games to his name in an NRL career that spanned 14 seasons.
Having spent his junior years in the halves, Taree-born Buderus covered several back-line positions in his first years of first grade, then made the role of hooker his own.
Dynamite out of dummy-half, a fearless front-line defender, and the epitome of being the player other players wanted to play with, Buderus won a record four Player of the Year (1999, 2003, 2004, 2006) and Players’ Player of the Year (2004, 2008, 2012, 2013) awards.
He played a record 21 straight State of Origin games for NSW from 2002 to 2008, including the last 15 in a row as skipper, captained Australia in four of the 24 Tests he played, and in 1997 was named hooker in the Knights’ 20-Year Team.
The Hall of Fame induction was announced by Hall of Fame committee spokesman and Newcastle Herald rugby league reporter Brett Keeble during the Knights’ 2014 Awards evening held at Wests New Lambton on Thursday.
“It’s totally unexpected, the guys at the Knights from top to bottom in the organisation have been fantastic to myself,” Buderus told Knights TV after accepting the accolade.
“To think that I could be involved as a Hall of Fame Member is amazing, I’m just honoured to be in amongst it, it’s such an exclusive group.
“I came down here as a young teenager to follow my dreams and play a couple of games with the Knights, and I went on to play a fair few.
“It just goes to show that sometimes talents isn’t not enough, it’s hard work.
“That's what my credo was, just being about outworking my teammates and my opponents.”
Newcastle Knights Hall of Fame
At the beginning of 2012, the Newcastle Knights launched the Club’s Hall of Fame as the cornerstone of their 25th year celebrations.
The key objectives of the Hall of Fame were to acknowledge the Club’s former greats and their contribution to the Club both on and off the field in a region so rich in rugby league culture.
To be eligible for nomination, players and coaches must be retired. The Hall of Fame selection committee can nominate up to two inductees each year and that panel comprises:
Former Knights Chairman, Michael Hill
Former TV and radio commentator, Leigh Maughan
Foundation Knights coaching director, Allan Bell
Newcastle Herald Rugby League reporter, Brett Keeble and
NBN television sports presenter and commentator Mike Rabbitt.
