The Newcastle Knights hosted the Club’s partner Aurizon at Hunter Stadium for an exciting night of children’s football skills for the Aurizon night with the Knights event.
By the sound of laughter and cheers echoing through the tunnels of the Stadium, the players had just as much fun as the young participants.
The full NRL playing squad was on hand to teach the children basic football drills and games before a signing session and barbecue, all held in the team’s inner sanctum warm up rooms at the stadium.
For the players, the chance to interact so closely with some of the Club’s youngest and most passionate fans provided a boost.
“It’s good to come out here. The kids love seeing the boys and we’ll have a signing session, a barbecue and a bit of mingling,” Newcastle Knight Jarrod Mullen said.
“They are the next generation coming through. There are a couple of girls here which is good and they have been showing the boys up.
“They have some good skills and think they are taking a lot out of it with the boys here, it’s a really good promo.”
Meanwhile, Korbin Sims admitted the players got just as much enjoyment out of the activities as the young kids.
“They always have a lot of fun when they come to these events. They are thirsty for knowledge and they are just having a lot of fun out there,” he said.
“Because they are so young there’s a lot of excitement on their faces and when they do something good, we can celebrate it with them.”
Adam Clysdale reflected on times when he’d attended football skills sessions with NRL players as a kid and hoped the Aurizon participants gained just as much from it as he did.
“The kids always get a lot out of it. I remember when I was young and got to do this sort of stuff,” he added.