The Newcastle Knights are set to make the call on the future of coach Adam O'Brien as they prepare to offer him a historic new deal.
This comes just months after O'Brien was nearly shown the door by the Knights after the club fell to 14th on the ladder, and they looked like they could never muster a win. This saw several former coaches such as Des Haslet, Paul McGregor, Justin Holbrook, and John Morris linked to taking over the reins from O'Brien.
However, in a miraculous turnaround, that same Knights team will take on the New Zealand Warriors for a spot in the Preliminary Final against the Brisbane Broncos after ten wins in a row- their last loss occurring against the Panthers. If they defeat the Warriors, they would equal the club's record for most consecutive wins.
The Newcastle Knights are now planning to offer Adam O'Brien a massive contract extension, which would see him overtake Michael Hagan as the Knight's longest-serving coach, per News Corp.
The publication understands that Knights officials have agreed privately to offer him a two-year extension on top of his original deal that won't expire until the end of next year. This means he will be the head coach until at least the end of 2026.
Brought into the club in 2020, O'Brien has fixed the club's coaching problems, reaching the finals in three out of the four seasons as coach with a 46.3 per cent winning rate.
Prior to this, the Knights went through five full-time head coaches and two interim coaches since the departure of Michael Hagan in 2006 and the arrival of O'Brien in 2020. Brian Smith, Rick Stone (two stints), Wayne Bennett, Nathan Brown, Danny Buderus (interim) and Kristian Woolf (interim) all spent time as the head coach of the club.
The Newcastle Knights will take on the New Zealand Warriors on Saturday for a chance to clinch a spot against the Broncos to make it into the 2023 Grand Final.