Knights in the Quarry: A mining story

It's a special day and a special jersey. 

An orange and black kit, made to symbolise the high-vis uniforms of thousands of Australians who ply their trade in the Australia's mines.

Like no other city in the country, Newcastle has it's roots deeply embedded in a long and storied history surrounding mining.

After all, there's a reason it's referred to as 'The Steel City'.

Thousands of locals still to this day call the quarry their workplace.

Locals who include former Knights players themselves, such as Bill Peden, Steve Simpson and Nathan Ross.

“There are so many parallels there with the mining industry, with the blue-collar workforce and rugby league,” Peden told the Our Town Our Team Podcast in 2019.

“I know when I grew up there were so many blokes that played rugby league that worked in pits, it was just the thing you did. They worked in pits and they played footy.

“There were so many tough uncompromising men that I looked up to that were coal miners and were footy players and just generally blokes that you looked up to.

“The parallels within mining and teamwork and what there is playing footy and playing for the Knights. The parallels are there.”

What's become known as 'Voice for Mining Round', formed by the Knights in conjunction with NSW Mining, has fast become one of the most important weeks for the Club each year.

The annual family day attached to the round regularly draws more than 20,000 people to McDonald Jones Stadium each year.

It also provides an opportunity for the players to connect with the industry which helps power the region.

Last year, the occasion saw Hymel Hunt, Josh King and Kurt Mann travel to the Glencore Liddell mine to learn parts of the trade themselves.

King himself is a former mine-worker, where he completed his trade as an electrician prior to moving to the city to pursue his dream of playing for the Knights.

He admits playing in the hi-vis jumper is something extremely special to him.

"Every week you go out to play your best and do your best for the town and the community, but on days like that where you can represent what the Hunter Valley and Newcastle is really built on, it's just as important," King said.

"It really gets you up."

The importance of mining to the community isn't lost on the young forward.

“Being from the hunter and being from Singleton, a mining town which is pretty much built around mining, it is a pretty important day for me,” King added.

“I feel like mining is the heart of the hunter.

“It’s important to come out and play for the community, and working in the mines myself, it gives me a little more passion to play.”

Unlike King, fullback Kalyn Ponga has never worked a day in a mine.

However, the young live-wire's heritage lies firmly in the mining industry via his father Andre.

"It's definitely a round that's close to home," Ponga said.

"My old man's worked in the mines for as long as I can remember.

"Wearing the hi-vis and seeing it all over the stadium is special to me and very special to my Dad."

The region's mines have also been home to a family from a different Knights era with a last name you'll be sure to recognise.

Geoff Gidley (father to Kurt and Matt) was driving coal trains with Pacific National while his gifted children were growing into the Club legends they eventually became.

Gidley was a special guest at the 2014 training session which saw the official unveiling of the hi-vis kit.

"When I first walked in at training I thought, ‘oh the blokes from work are here," Geoff said on the day.

"That’s what it looked like."

Gidley Snr is the first to admit things would've been a lot different for him and his family if not for the mining sector.

"I wouldn’t have had a job," he says frankly.

"It’s a massive industry for Newcastle."

Fast forward back to 2020, and the importance of Voice for Mining Round still can not be understated.

After a poor loss to the Cowboys in the hi-vis jersey eight weeks ago, the boys will be out to make amends this week.

And while there won't be a 20,000-strong sea of hi-vis at McDonald Jones Stadium like usual, you can be sure the significance of the occasion won't be lost on the team.