+34Knights supporters travelled to Sydney for the NRL grand final against the Roosters, determined to win for their city after a car crashed into a fan parade, leaving a five-year-old girl in critical but stable condition.
Newcastle Knights fans gathered in huge numbers for the NRL grand final against the Sydney Roosters, determined to bring home the trophy after a tragedy at a fan parade.
Newcastle Fans Unite After Tragedy
A car crashed into a crowd in Newcastle on Saturday, leaving several supporters, including children, in hospital. A five-year-old girl struck by the car underwent emergency surgery and remains in a critical but stable condition. The city woke to that promising news on grand final day after the horror of the previous afternoon. For Knights fan Bailey Goodacre, grand final day began 156km from Sydney's Accor Stadium at the Del Hotel and Pub on Newcastle's Darby Street.
Not long after the pub's doors opened at 10am, Goodacre and his mates were inside, beer in hand and ready to watch their team in a grand final for the first time in 25 years. We will steady ourselves and have some food and drinks, Goodacre said. Eventually, we will have more people come. It is going to be unreal.
I cannot wait. We defended the table, and now we are going to defend the kingdom. Goodacre said the incident had brought the town even closer. We feel really bad for what has happened.
It is sad, he said. The community was already bonded by the team's success, he added, but the tragedy had deepened that connection. At Broadmeadow Station, three kilometres closer to Accor Stadium, groups of Knights fans left every 30 minutes on trains to Sydney. Most wore Newcastle jerseys, few had luggage, and they seemed prepared to make the return journey after the match.
Supporters Travel to the Grand Final
Cathy and Michelle Price would not have been on the Newcastle express if not for tickets they won in a competition on the morning of the game. I have had to change my plans, Cathy said on the platform. By midday, hundreds had crossed the Hawkesbury River, descending on the state capital by train, bus or car. David Thompson dressed as a knight for the occasion.
It is not knitted by Nan; I got it on eBay, he said. Ashlee Storey and her mother Anissa made the journey on the Pacific Motorway. They arrived at the stadium in jerseys from the collection of their late brother and son Matthew, who died nine years ago from Hodgkin's lymphoma. All his friends have been sending messages saying he will be here with us.
They are so happy we got tickets, Anissa said. He was the number one Knights fan, and even his coffin, he had a Knights coffin. Ashlee, who attends every home game, has worn her Knights jerseys to work every day this week, much to the chagrin of her boss, a Roosters supporter. But the events at the fan parade on Saturday were in every fan's mind.
Just upsetting and devastating, she said. I feel so sorry for all the families that were all involved in it. It is just terrible. It has been such a great atmosphere in Newcastle and for one guy to ruin it all for everyone is just really upsetting.
Roosters and Broncos Fans Arrive
Although Knights fans dominated the station and pubs around Accor, others were there for the State Championship and NRLW grand final. Adrian Harch with his children Ella and Lachlan were outside Accor Stadium. For 10-year-old Lachlan, his beloved Brisbane Broncos were still in contention in the NRLW. Otherwise, the Broncos jersey, shorts, socks and necklace he received for his birthday on Thursday would not have seen the inside of a stadium until next year.
Sadly for him, the Broncos were beaten 30-6 by the Roosters in the women's decider. Roosters supporters made their own pilgrimage from Sydney's east to its west and were not phased by being in the minority. It does not matter, said Harry Zouroudis, who dressed up as a Rooster. It is the result that matters in the end.
Some Roosters fans made a much longer commute. Moruya's Brad Fairbairn has been a fan for more than half a century but has never attended a grand final. He is in the stands because of a drunken impulse after the Roosters' 36-20 victory over the Dolphins in the preliminary final at Suncorp Stadium. Well I got drunk last Friday night and said I do not care what it costs, we are going, he said.
Fairbairn spent more than $1600 on two tickets, one for himself and one for partner Karen Cooper. It is a bucket list thing, he said. We are not getting any younger, we will not be back again. Earlier, fans lined the road at Wallsend to farewell the team bus bound for the stadium.
Knights Fans Rally Despite the Tragedy
The tragedy weighed heavily, but many said it would drive the Knights to work harder. Trish said she would not let the accused driver take the joy of the day. The boys will be there for us and we will be there for them when we get back home, she said. Trish has been a Knights fan from day dot and was just so proud watching them win premierships in 1997 and 2001.
A group of excited supporters predicted the game would be a white wash, saying a win would mean everything. That is just going to drive the boys more, it is going to drive the boys to work harder and bring that trophy home for the town, one said. A father with two young boys said it was devastating to see all those people injured, but was glad they were recovering well.
I am just hoping for a great performance from the team and everything, hope we can get the job done, one of the boys said. Roosters fan Blake Allen was adamant his team would be victorious but also recognised the Newcastle spirit. Terrible incident, but you can see right now there is five to one Newcastle fans, so I think they are all gonna rally behind this, he said.
And if anything, I think this will help Newcastle lift and make for an even better grand final. Newcastle mayor Gavin Morris posted a video on social media. We can grieve for those that were hurt and injured in yesterday's incident, and we can support our mighty Knights who have gone through so much as well, he said.
They endured a lot through their trip to Sydney, getting the news through of what happened, but today right now I say to the boys, it is time.
abcnews 
brisbanetimes:‘We’re going to defend the kingdom’: NRL fans prepare for grand final after tragedy 
theage:‘We’re going to defend the kingdom’: NRL fans prepare for grand final after tragedy 
smh:‘We’re going to defend the kingdom’: NRL fans prepare for grand final after tragedyThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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