Buoyed by partner Millie Boyle's success in leading Newcastle to a maiden NRLW premiership, Knights recruit Adam Elliott reckons the men's team aren't too far off doing "something special" as well.
Elliott, a versatile forward who has joined the Knights on a three-year deal beginning next month, watched the NRLW side claim victory over Parramatta at Accor Stadium last week and celebrated with the squad back in Newcastle later that night.
While officially still on Canberra's payroll, Elliott spoke to the Newcastle Herald about why he joined the Knights, his admiration for his partner and his respect for the Raiders.
The 27-year-old, who spent this season in the nation's capital after parting ways in late 2020 with the Bulldogs, where he played 101 games over six years, said he decided to join Newcastle because he felt the club was on the verge of success.
"I believe we're going to do something special in the next three or four years," he said.
"I feel honoured to have played with Josh Papali'i and Joe Tapine, but I was always going to play third fiddle to them at the Raiders.
"I feel like I might be able to play a more leading role here at the Knights.
"I really want to bring the Knights some success."
Canberra had hoped to retain Elliott, who played in all but two of the Raiders' 26 games this season. He started 13 matches at lock, but also spent time at hooker and in the back-row.
The Bega product has a desire to play lock for the Knights, a position mostly filled by Kurt Mann this season in a ball-playing type role. Mitch Barnett, who played lock prior to Mann's shift into the position, has left the club for the Warriors.
"I really want to play 13," Elliott said. "I will play 13."
Reflecting on his time in Canberra, Elliott - who won't start pre-season training until a few weeks after the main group resumes at the start of next month - said playing for the Green Machine had reinvigorated his love of footy.
"'I'm still a Raider at the moment and absolutely adore my Raiders teammates," he said.
"I'll be cheering for every one of them that's playing in the World Cup.
"They've brought my love back into the game, brought my family back into the game and been the most supportive team I could have played for.
"I'm so grateful I played for the Raiders."
Elliott also paid tribute to his partner for helping him re-establish his career.
It's support he was only too pleased to repay as she led the Knights to a title in her first season at the club.
"I've been on this journey for a while now with Millie and I knew how much pressure there was on her and Tamika [Upton] coming down from the Broncos," he said.
"To see what Millie and Tamika did, to come here and how much they meant to the town and how much the town meant to them, and it wasn't just the two of them - there's a very good bunch of girls there - but there was a lot of pressure on those two girls.
"I could not be prouder."
Elliott, who has settled in Merewether with Boyle, Newcastle's co-captain, believes the Knights can have sustained success in the NRLW despite the entry of four new teams in 2023.
"They can. They've got some really good people that care about each other," he said.
"I think there will be a big core of this group stay together because they really like playing together and how successful they are.
"The Knights are very, very lucky to have Millie Boyle as their captain."
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