Robbie O’Davis, Steve Simpson and Kurt Gidley have tonight been inducted into the Knights Hall of Fame at a dinner conducted in their honour by the Once a Knight Old Boys and the nib Newcastle Knights.
Established in 2012 as part of the Club’s 25th year celebrations, the Hall of Fame was designed to recognise and acknowledge the greats of the club and their significant contributions both on and off the field.
Gidley, Simpson and O’Davis join inaugural inductees Allan McMahon, Paul Harragon, Mark Sargent, Michael Hagan, Andrew Johns, and Matthew Gidley and 2014 inductees Tony Butterfield and Danny Buderus in the Hall of Fame.
Speaking tonight, President of the Once a Knight Old Boys, Stephen Crowe, said the Hall of Fame Dinner provided the ideal forum to recognise the club’s greatest players.
“The Knights Hall of Fame is an incredibly exclusive club, and has been further enhanced by the inclusion of last night’s three new inductees. “
“Robbie, Steve and Kurt, personify to toughness, tenacity and resilience that the club was built upon and their acknowledgement was incredibly well received by their peers, on the eve of Old Boys Day.”
Robbie O’Davis was the very definition of a big game player over his 223-game career in red and blue.
The electric Queenslander wrote himself into Knights folklore winning the Clive Churchill Medal with a two-try performance in the 1997 Grand Final win over Manly. He is one of only five players to feature in both Knights Premiership teams.
Born and raised in the Hunter Valley, Steve Simpson was a fan favourite throughout a 216-game, one club career that saw him scale the highest of heights – a Knights Premiership and multiple games for New South Wales Country, the New South Wales Blues and Australian Kangaroos.
The tough, hardworking back rower missed just one match on his way to 100 first grade games from his debut against Parramatta in 1999. That run included the 2001 Grand Final victory over the Eels, where he scored a try in just his 74th game in the top grade.
The most-capped Newcastle Knights captain in history, Kurt Gidley was the heart and soul of the club throughout a 251-game career spanning 15 National Rugby League seasons.
Gidley captained the club on 123 occasions and led New South Wales five times during the 2009-10 State of Origin series. He represented NSW and Australia with distinction, playing in 12 matches for each between 2007 and 2013.
He would finish as the second highest points scorer in Club history, behind only Andrew Johns. After leaving the Knights, he played another 54 matches with Warrington to take his tally of top-grade games to 286 when he called time on a glittering career at the end of 2017.
The Hall of Fame Dinner also saw a number of former Knights inducted into the ranks of Life Members. Inductees include Robbie McCormack, Adam Macdougall, Mark Hughes, James McManus, Chris Houston and Akuila Uate.
Newcastle Knights Hall of Fame Inductees 2022:
Robbie O’Davis – Newcastle Knight #68, 223 Games 1992-2004
Steve Simpson – Newcastle Knight #126, 216 Games 1999-2010
Kurt Gidley – Newcastle Knight #143, 251 Games 2001-2015
Newcastle Knights Life Member Inductees 2022:
Robbie McCormack – Newcastle Knight #25, 154 Games 1988-1996
Adam Macdougall – Newcastle Knight #102, 158 Games 1997-2003, 2007-2011
Mark Hughes – Newcastle Knight #108, 161 Games 1997-2005
James McManus – Newcastle Knight #186, 166 Games 2007-2015
Chris Houston – Newcastle Knight #202, 160 Games 2008-2015
Akuila Uate – Newcastle Knight #209, 161 Games 2008-2016
