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'Pretty much ashamed': How Newcastle turned wooden spooners into premiership contenders
Sport Nation • September 25th, 2026 7:18 am
Bradman Best | Photo: AAP
Newcastle Knights centre Bradman Best has described last season as one of the lowest points of his career. Now, after helping the Knights knock the Warriors out of NRL title contention, he is closing in on a childhood dream.
The 25-year-old who joined the club in 2019 will face the Penrith Panthers in a preliminary final on Sunday, with a place in the NRL Grand Final on the line.
But the contrast between the 2025 and 2026 seasons is stark, with Best admitting he was “embarrassed” and “pretty much ashamed” by how the team performed, calling it “definitely one of the lowest years” of his career.
But the centre said a new coaching staff and a renewed sense of purpose helped Newcastle turn things around in 2026.
“I think just the new coach, new coaching staff as well, what they brought to us in November when we all got together and obviously started ripping in pre-season, training hard,” Best told Sport Nation Afternoons when asked about what changed during the off-season.
Sam loses it at The Bunker following Warriors' elimination final loss to the Knights | Warriors Live
He said tough conversations early in the pre-season helped bring the squad together, while a camp in Coffs Harbour gave the group a chance to map out its ambitions.
“Everyone got up there and said, ‘this is where we’re going as a club, this is a vision,’ and then all us lads, we bought into it and trained really hard, really bought into it, really connected off the field.”
Best said the team had regained the confidence it lacked last season, with players taking responsibility and committing to turning their fortunes around.
“Everyone was probably blaming themselves, and this year I think everyone had a good look in the mirror and wanted to do something special, turn it around and we’ve done that,” he shared.
The Knights won a thriller against the Warriors in Auckland to progress to the preliminary finals | Photo: Brett Phibbs/AAP
The Knights’ next challenge is the toughest of the season, and a win against Penrith would move Newcastle one step closer to the premiership - and to a moment Best has imagined since he was a child.
“That would be the dream, that’s what you dream as a little kid, one day hopefully to lift that trophy,” he said.
“To do it with my brothers, we’ve been grinding for a long time, we’ve had plenty of ups and downs together, and I feel like we’ve been building. It would be special to win it with all the boys.”
Best said the Knights would need to leave everything on the field against the Panthers.
“We know it’s going to be the hardest game of rugby league we’ve played this year."
Listen to the full interview below:
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