THEY have been waiting, unknowingly, for six years to receive the greatest honour that can be bestowed upon any Newcastle Knight.
At a dinner at NEX on Saturday night, three more champions will be added to the club's Hall of Fame, joining Paul Harragon, Andrew Johns, Matthew Gidley, Michael Hagan, Tony Butterfield, Mark Sargent, Danny Buderus and the late Allan McMahon.
When the Hall of Fame was launched in 2012, initially the plan was to consider and potentially induct new members every two years.
But Saturday's inductions will be the first since 2014, a hiatus partly attributable to the Knights' various changes of ownership, and also because of the pandemic.
The Herald understands the original Hall of Fame selectors chose two players in 2016 to be inducted and were expecting them to be honoured at a dinner.
Six years later, they finally will be on Saturday, along with a third former great.
"Better late than never," said Steve Crowe, chairman of the Knights' Old Boys, who have been commissioned to give the Hall of Fame a long-overdue re-boot.
Crowe said the Hall of Fame had "just sort of lost its way" before the Old Boys fielded a call from Knights/West Group CEO Philip Gardner, offering them a chance to take change.
"Philip contacted us just before COVID, and said he felt the Old Boys were more legitimate owners of the Hall of Fame and life membership than the Wests Group, and he asked if we could take responsibility for them," Crowe recalled.
"We were more than happy to help.
"Then COVID got in the way.
"We always wanted to hold a dinner to recognise our Hall of Fame inductees and life members, but for two years it wasn't really possible because of all the [public-gathering] restrictions."
Crowe said a new selection committee had been formed, comprising himself (as the Old Boys' chairman), Knights chairman Geoff Coburn, Newcastle's foundation assistant coach, Allan Bell, and Herald journalist Barry Toohey.
A fifth will be added in due course.
Crowe said there many worthy contenders for selectors to consider.
"The club has an incredibly rich history and has produced some unbelievable players," Crowe said.
"To acknowledge them is a great tradition, and the Old Boys are really proud to be part of that process."
He was confident the three players who will be announced on Saturday will meet with unanimous approval.
As well as the dinner, they will be feted before the crowd at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday, before the Knights take on Cronulla.
"It's a pretty select crew and the selection criteria is very stringent," Crowe said.
"It'll never grow into a large group. I'd imagine it will always be elite, but I think everyone will agree, it will be beyond reproach."
As well as the three new Hall of Famers, a number of other players will be honoured after life-membership qualification was recently reduced from 200 games to 150.
