The name Allan McMahon might not resonate with the new wave of nib Newcastle Knights supporters but it should.
He set up the Club when they joined the competition in 1988.
He’s also a former Tiger.
McMahon was a former international fullback who played almost 100 top grade games for Balmain and captained the team on numerous occasions.
That’s why every time the Knights and Tigers do battle, they play for the shield in his name.
Sadly, the new brigade of nib Newcastle Knights don’t know McMahon, who passed away in 2003 but they live his mantra every day.
The pioneers of the Knights: Allan McMahon
As Knights legend and former captain Danny Buderus puts it, he was a pioneer who laid the foundations for the Club’s future success.
“Allan McMahon set the structure for the place – the three T’s,” Buderus explained.
“You’ve got to tackle, you’ve got to be tough and you’ve got to have plenty of tomorrows. He recruited on the basis of that.
“He set a lot of things up in 88 and obviously a lot of work before 88 to get Newcastle in (the competition), so he was our first-ever coach and had a lot to do with Balmain.
“He played down there and had a great career. He obviously learnt a lot down there and brought it up here. What he put into our Club in the early days, the foundations, it set it up.
“You’ve got to be forever thankful for the pioneers of our Club and Allan McMahon is one of those.”
In establishing the Knights, McMahon also introduced the motto ‘be the player everyone wants to play with’.
Former Knights hardman Mark Sargent there’s no more powerful statement.
“It’s a pretty high bar to set,” Sargent said.
“It’s a solid bench mark to be the guy everyone wants to play with. I don’t think there’s a stronger endorsement you could actually get from your teammates if that’s what they say about you.
“Allan McMahon and his team established that in year one and its been the abiding standard ever since.
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“The best players that have played here, that’s what they lived by… if you actually live it and not just say it, it has an impact in how good a player can actually be.”
Since 2003, the shield in McMahon’s name has been played for every time these two teams meet.
The Wests Tigers are currently in possession of the shied.
History: Round 23, 2019 Wests Tigers d Knights 46-4 at Campbelltown Stadium. Round 19, 2019 Wests Tigers d Knights 28-26 at McDonald Jones Stadium. Round 21, 2018 Wests Tigers d Knights 25-16 at McDonald Jones Stadium. Round 7, 2018 Knights d Tigers 22-20 in Tamworth. Round 17, 2017 Wests Tigers d Knights 33-12 at McDonald Jones Stadium. Round 11, 2016 Wests Tigers d Knights 20-12 at Campbelltown Stadium. Round 2, 2016 Knights d Wests Tigers 18-16 at Hunter Stadium.
