At about 7am, Fred Dierks pulled his car into the stadium parking lot to find he was second in line for Knights tickets. A young guy (maybe in his 30s, Mr Dierks said) had left Kings Cross at 5.30am, but was forced to step out of the line a few hours later.
"I think he has left," one of the fans said, "He couldn't wait."
The ticket booth wouldn't open for hours yet, but Mr Dierks had his eye on a handful of seats in the stadium for the weekend's clash with the Raiders.
It's the first time in years that the team has put in such an impressive performance, lining up a streak of nine consecutive wins.
Mr Dierks has followed the team since its 1988 inception and used to bring his sons to watch the home games. Now, he's bringing his granddaughters.
Amelia will turn eight in a fortnight and knows all of the NRL teams and who plays for them. Her sister, Abigail, has just turned nine.
With a handful of tickets fanned out in his hands, Mr Dierks shows off photos of his grandkids on his phone.
"Finals are always tough," Mr Dierks said, "You can't predict anything because they're all up there. It's anybody's game.
"But we're hopeful Newcastle will win."
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Mr Dierks was one of a few dozen diehards to line up for tickets at McDonald Jones Stadium on Tuesday morning as online sales went like wildfire.
"I used to have tickets up there in the grandstand," he said, "Yeas ago. I used to bring my boys all the time. We saw their first grand final in Sydney."
Asked if he thought the home team had a chance of repeating that historic win this year, Mr Dierks said he had his doubts, but he was hopeful.
"I think the Broncos are a strong side," he said, "And Penrith are strong. Who knows?"
"I used to look at the Knights; when they won the grand final, they had a good team - and a couple of years after. But even after this year, you never know. Next year might be another good one."
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As the box office opened, Cameron Howard from New Lambton, decked out in full regalia, joined the line with a cheer.
He described himself as a diehard fan and was confident the boys would get a win over the Raiders come Sunday.
"30 points to 12," he said, "I think they'll beat the Canberra Raiders."
"I think they've got a chance of getting to the grand final this year; I think they can get there."
The Knights have come off their impressive winning streak after languishing in the middle of the season. They will meet the Raiders at McDonald Jones Stadium at 4.05pm on Sunday, September 10.
The Raiders are coming off a loss to the Sharks in their final game of the regular season last Sunday. Cronulla now face the Roosters in an elimination final this Saturday night.
Brisbane, meanwhile, are looking to end a losing streak when they meet the Storm at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night before the Panthers face the Warriors on Saturday afternoon.
