Newcastle’s grand final return means different things to Frizell and Sharpe

The Newcastle Knights are back in the NRL grand final for the first time since 2001, giving veteran Tyson Frizell his first appearance in a season decider and 22-year-old Fletcher Sharpe a chance to play in a match he grew up hearing about. Their accounts, given to the Guardian this week, show how a run that began after a last-place finish has reached across generations of the club and its supporters.

Newcastle secured its place on Sunday, 27 September, by beating Penrith 22-14 at Accor Stadium in Sydney. The Knights trailed 14-6 at halftime and played 44 minutes with 12 men after hooker Phoenix Crossland was sent off. They scored three tries after the break and did not concede a second-half point, according to the NRL’s match account. Sydney Roosters await in the grand final; Newcastle’s pursuit of a first men’s premiership since 2001 remains unresolved.

Frizell’s long wait

Frizell, 34, had played 305 NRL games without reaching a grand final, the Guardian reported. He told the paper that watching other teams celebrate after the final siren had become painful: he would usually switch off or stop watching at that point, despite being happy for the players involved. This time, he will be part of the occasion himself.

The length of that wait depends on how it is counted. The Guardian described it as the first grand final of Frizell’s 15-year career. Speaking after the win over Penrith, he told ABC News, ‘I've waited 16 years to be part of this,’ and noted that one game remained. Either account conveys the same immediate fact: this is his first NRL grand final, with the title still to play for.

A younger player’s link to the club’s past

Sharpe grew up in the Hunter Valley and still lives in Cessnock, according to the Guardian. He was not yet born when Newcastle last won the premiership in 2001. He said his family had told him about the club’s 1997 and 2001 grand finals, and that the current squad had spent time looking at what those occasions meant to the town and community.

For Sharpe, the memories also have familiar faces. He told the Guardian that Andrew and Matthew Johns were the players people talked about as he grew up in Cessnock. Former Newcastle captain Paul Harragon spoke to the squad earlier this season, the paper reported, while Andrew Johns sent a video message before the preliminary final. Sharpe said seeing former club figures become emotional about the return to the decider almost brought him to tears.

Sharpe described being in the position of players he once looked up to as a ‘pinch myself’ experience. That perspective differs from Frizell’s years spent waiting to reach a decider, but both players have pointed to the people around the club when describing what this week means to them.

From last place to the decider

The contrast with last season is sharp. Newcastle finished with the 2025 wooden spoon after a 66-10 loss to Parramatta in its final match, the Guardian reported. Frizell said the team used that result as motivation while also putting it aside and starting again. The NRL’s account of the Penrith match records a crowd of 57,102 for the preliminary final that completed the turnaround to a grand final place.

Against Penrith, the Knights lost Crossland shortly before halftime after his tackle on Nathan Cleary. ABC News reported that Cleary suffered a broken leg and was taken to hospital. Newcastle then had to defend its deficit with one fewer player. Sandon Smith scored twice after the break, including a late interception try, as the Knights overturned the halftime score.

Knights chief executive Peter Parr credited coach Justin Holbrook with building belief in the group. Speaking to the Guardian, Parr said doubts existed outside the players and coaching staff, while Holbrook focused on those available to play. Frizell praised the coach’s calm, direct approach and said he accepted a move from his usual edge-forward position into the middle because he wanted the arrangement that best served the team. Those are the club’s explanations for its progress, alongside the results on the field.

The grand final against the Roosters is the remaining test. Newcastle’s last premiership came in 2001, a title Sharpe knows through family stories and Frizell has spent his career trying to match on the field. Their accounts give the coming match distinct personal stakes, while the result itself is still unknown.