2015 Newcastle Knights season

The 2015 Newcastle Knights season was the 28th in the club's history. Coached by Rick Stone, interim coached by Danny Buderus after Stone was fired, and captained by Kurt Gidley, they competed in the NRL's 2015 Telstra Premiership, finishing the regular season in 16th place (out of 16).

Milestones

• Round 1: James McManus played his 150th for the club, which was also his 150th career game.
• Round 1: Tyler Randell scored his 1st try and kicked his 1st goal for the club, which were also his 1st career try and goal.
• Round 1: Beau Scott captained his 1st game for the club.
• Round 1: Jack Stockwell made his debut for the club, after previously playing for the St. George Illawarra Dragons.
• Round 2: Akuila Uate scored his 57th try at Hunter Stadium, breaking Adam MacDougall's record of 56 tries as the highest ever try-scorer at Hunter Stadium.
• Round 3: Chris Houston scored his 100th point for the club, which was also his 100th career point.
• Round 5: Tariq Sims made his debut for the club, after previously playing for the North Queensland Cowboys.
• Round 6: Akuila Uate scored his 100th career try, which was also his 100th for the club, becoming the 1st Knight to do so.
• Round 7: Dane Gagai scored his 100th career point.
• Round 7: Kurt Gidley captained his 107th game for the club, breaking Andrew Johns' record of 106 games for most appearances as captain for the Knights.
• Round 9: Joseph Leilua played his 50th game for the club.
• Round 9: Tariq Sims scored his 1st try for the club.
• Round 10: David Fa'alogo played his 50th game for the club.
• Round 10: Chad Redman made his NRL debut for the club and scored his 1st try for the club, which was also his 1st career try.
• Round 12: Chris Houston played his 150th game for the club.
• Round 12: Sam Mataora made his debut for the club, after previously playing for the Canberra Raiders.
• Round 12: Carlos Tuimavave made his debut for the club, after previously playing for the New Zealand Warriors.
• Round 13: Joseph Leilua scored his 50th career try.
• Round 15: Danny Levi made his NRL debut for the club.
• Round 15: Carlos Tuimavave scored his 1st try for the club.
• Round 16: Dane Gagai scored his 100th point for the club.
• Round 16: Danny Levi scored his 1st try for the club, which was also his 1st career try.
• Round 20: Jeremy Smith played his 50th game for the club.
• Round 21: Lachlan Fitzgibbon made his NRL debut for the club.
• Round 21: Nathan Ross made his NRL debut for the club and scored his 1st try for the club, which was also his 1st career try.
• Round 21: Beau Scott played his 50th game for the club.
• Round 22: Korbin Sims played his 50th game for the club, which was also his 50th career game.
• Round 22: Joseph Tapine scored his 1st try for the club, which was also his 1st career try.
• Round 24: Tyrone Roberts scored his 400th point for the club, which was also his 400th career point.
• Round 25: Kurt Gidley played his 250th game for the club, which was also his 250th career game.
• Round 25: Akuila Uate played his 150th game for the club, which was also his 150th career game.
• Round 26: Beau Scott played his 200th career game.

Squad

Transfers and Re-signings

Gains

Losses

Re-signings

Player contract situations

Ladder

2015 NRL season
Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	B	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Sydney Roosters	24	18	0	6	2	591	300	+291	40
2	Brisbane Broncos	24	17	0	7	2	574	379	+195	38
3	North Queensland Cowboys (P)	24	17	0	7	2	587	454	+133	38
4	Melbourne Storm	24	14	0	10	2	467	348	+119	32
5	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	24	14	0	10	2	522	480	+42	32
6	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	24	14	0	10	2	469	476	−7	32
7	South Sydney Rabbitohs	24	13	0	11	2	465	467	−2	30
8	St. George Illawarra Dragons	24	12	0	12	2	435	408	+27	28
9	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	24	11	0	13	2	458	492	−34	26
10	Canberra Raiders	24	10	0	14	2	577	569	+8	24
11	Penrith Panthers	24	9	0	15	2	399	477	−78	22
12	Parramatta Eels	24	9	0	15	2	448	573	−125	22
13	New Zealand Warriors	24	9	0	15	2	445	588	−143	22
14	Gold Coast Titans	24	9	0	15	2	439	636	−197	22
15	Wests Tigers	24	8	0	16	2	487	562	−75	20
16	Newcastle Knights	24	8	0	16	2	458	612	−154	20

Jerseys and sponsors

In 2015, the Knights' jerseys were made by ISC and their major sponsor was Newpave Asphalt.

2015 Home Jersey	2015 Away Jersey	2015 ANZAC Jersey	2015 Heritage Jersey	2015 ISC Marvel Heroes Spider-Man Jersey	2015 NSW Mining Jersey

Fixtures

Auckland Nines

Squad: 1. Sione Mata'utia 2. Jake Mamo 3. Dane Gagai 4. Chanel Mata'utia 5. Carlos Tuimavave 6. Jarrod Mullen (c) 7. Tyrone Roberts 8. Pat Mata'utia 9. Adam Clydsdale 10. Paterika Vaivai 11. Tyler Randell 12. Chris Houston 13. Robbie Rochow 14. Nathan Ross 15. Korbin Sims 16. Joseph Tapine 17. Jack Stockwell 18. Danny Levi

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Score	Tries	Drop Goal Conversions	Attendance
Saturday, 31 January	Auckland Nines Game 2	St. George Illawarra Dragons	Eden Park	18 – 7	J.Mamo (3), D.Gagai	J.Mullen (1/4)
Saturday, 31 January	Auckland Nines Game 9	Parramatta Eels	Eden Park	15 – 21	N.Ross, C.Houston, J.Tapine	T.Roberts (1/3)
Sunday, 1 February	Auckland Nines Game 18	Manly Warringah Sea Eagles	Eden Park	20 – 17	T.Randell, T.Roberts, S.Mata'utia, A.Clydsdale	T.Roberts (1/2), J.Mullen (1/2)
Sunday, 1 February	Auckland Nines Quarter-Final 2	South Sydney Rabbitohs	Eden Park	6 – 30	J.Mamo	J.Mullen (1/1)
Legend:       Win       Loss       Draw

Pre-season trials

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Score	Tries	Goals	Attendance
Saturday, 14 February	Trial 1	Port Macquarie Sharks/Wauchope Blues	Lank Bain Sporting Complex, Wauchope	86 – 0	T.Randell (2), P.Mata'utia (2), J.Feeney (2), J.Mamo (2), J.Elias (2), S.Mataora, N.Ross, J.Leilua, S.Keenan, M.Filipo, J.Finn	T.Randell (7/9), H.Tuha (2/5), D.Levi (1/1)
Saturday, 21 February	Trial 2	Canberra Raiders	Seiffert Oval	26 – 4	A.Uate (3), J.Leilua, A.Clydsdale	T.Roberts (3/3), K.Gidley (0/2)	6,350
Legend:       Win       Loss       Draw

Regular season

2015 Regular season fixtures

Statistics

30 players used.

Source:^[51]

Representative honours

The following players appeared in a representative match in 2015.

Australian Schoolboys

• Jayden Butterfield

Cook Islands

• Sam Mataora

Fiji

• Daniel Saifiti
• Jacob Saifiti
• Korbin Sims
• Rick Stone (Coach)

Indigenous All Stars

• Dane Gagai
• Tyrone Roberts

Junior Kiwis

• Danny Levi

Lebanon

• James Elias

New South Wales

• Sione Mata'utia (Squad member)
• Beau Scott
• Tariq Sims (18th man)

New South Wales Country

• James McManus
• Jarrod Mullen (Squad member)
• Tariq Sims
• Kade Snowden
• Akuila Uate

New South Wales Residents

• Chanel Mata'utia
• Nathan Ross (19th man)

New South Wales Under-20s

• Luke Yates

NRL All Stars

• Beau Scott (Captain)
• Jeremy Smith

Prime Minister's XIII

• Dane Gagai
• Jake Mamo (Train-on squad)
• Jack Stockwell (Train-on squad)

Queensland

• Dane Gagai
• Korbin Sims (20th man)

Samoa

• Joseph Leilua
• Pat Mata'utia
• Carlos Tuimavave

Individual honours

Teams and squads

2015 National Youth Competition (NYC) Team of the Year

• Danny Levi

2015 New South Wales Cup Team of the Year

• Kerrod Holland

2015 New South Wales Under-20s Origin Pathways Camp

• Bryce Donovan
• Bradie Smith
• Luke Yates

2015 Qeensland Academy of Sport Emerging Origin Squad

• Dane Gagai
• Korbin Sims

Newcastle Knights awards

Player of the Year

• 2015 National Rugby League (NRL) Player of the Year: Kurt Gidley
• 2015 New South Wales Cup Player of the Year: Lachlan Fitzgibbon
• 2015 National Youth Competition (NYC) Player of the Year: Ken Tofilau

Players' Player

• 2015 National Rugby League (NRL) Players' Player: Kade Snowden
• 2015 New South Wales Cup Players' Player: Honeti Tuha
• 2015 National Youth Competition (NYC) Players' Player: Fuaimamao Uta

Coach's Award

• 2015 National Rugby League (NRL) Coach's Award: Dane Gagai
• 2015 New South Wales Cup Coach's Award: Daniel Saifiti
• 2015 National Youth Competition (NYC) Coach's Award: Kerrod Holland

2015 Brian Carlson Club-Andrew Johns Medal

• Tom Starling

References