‘Who’s this guy?’: Inside Justin Holbrook’s rise from scrapheap to finals... and why some saw it coming

If you asked retired English rugby league legend James Roby how the Newcastle Knights would go at the start of the season he would have predicted they’d be playing finals this week.

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It’s hard for a team which finished with the wooden spoon to rise and make the top eight the following season, but Justin Holbrook has helped make that happen.

Roby knows why the Knights have had a sudden rise up the ladder.

“It doesn’t surprise me at all. He improved us (St Helens) massively,” Roby told foxsports.com.au from England.

“I know what he’s capable of in terms of changing the narrative and the feeling among a group.”

THE GAME CHANGER

Roby hadn’t heard of Holbrook before 2017, but soon came to realise he was about to change his life.

After showcasing his coaching talents as an assistant coach at the Roosters, English Super League giants St Helens approached Holbrook with the view of offering him the head coaching role.

At the time it was described as a “surprising move” by the English press, who described Holbrook as an “unfamiliar name”.

Roby was the St Helens hooker and was battling away in a team running seventh in the Super League.

Seventh isn’t too bad for most clubs, but not for St Helens.

Like the Sydney Roosters in the NRL, they play to win premierships.

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After sacking Keiron Cunningham during the 2017 season, St Helens took a chance on Holbrook – a man who played just 17 NRL games with three clubs.

“I remember when he first came and I’ll be honest, we were a bit like ‘who’s this guy, who’s Justin Holbrook’,” Roby said.

“I do remember that first meeting he had with us was very impactful. He came in and he knew everybody’s name when shaking all our hands on the first day.”

Holbrook then told them how he’d turn them around.

“He didn’t really walk in and tell everyone what we were doing wrong, if anything, it was the opposite. He recognised that there was talent there and he created an environment off the back of that,” Roby said.

“I think one of the key things that Justin did that I do remember vividly is he got up and said we were in a frustrated state.

“He just simplified it and I remember him saying, ‘just carry the ball hard, try and play the ball quick, defend together and defend with a bit of intensity’.

“It was exactly what we needed at that time. Training became enjoyable and everybody felt confident and there was a real sense we were going somewhere.”

Holbrook would end up leaving St Helens after the 2019 season, walking away with the title. Job done.

BACK DOWN TO EARTH

Holbrook left St Helens with a premiership and an amazing 80 per cent winning record.

He went from the highest of highs in England to being told he wasn’t good enough in Australia.

Following the success at St Helens, he took the Gold Coast Titans job and was sacked during his fourth season in charge.

At the time, the Titans were in the top eight but it wasn’t deemed good enough and the owners sensationally sacked him in 2023.

He was said to be left feeling “awful” and “gutted” by the sacking.

Holbrook told foxsports.com.au this week that he knew he had to get over the disappointment as soon as possible.

“It only affected me at the time,” Holbrook said.

“I moved on really quickly. The minute I moved on back to the Roosters I put it behind me.

“What it did was make me feel really grateful to be back as a head coach and at a club that I always wanted to coach.”

Soon after Holbrook was sacked, he returned to the Roosters as an assistant before the Knights saw his potential as a head coach and pounced. To this day he is the last coach to get the Gold Coast to the finals (2021) and no coach has produced a better winning record for the club since.

“He did a great job as the head coach at the Titans and was moved on, I think when they were still running eighth and developing a really good footy team there,” former Knights premiership-winning coach Michael Hagan told foxsports.com.au.

KNIGHTS MAKE THEIR MOVE

When the Knights were looking for a new coach last year following Adam O’Brien’s departure, a panel was formed to find not only the right coach, but the right person.

One of the members on that panel was Hagan.

“He understood the Newcastle mentality,” Hagan said of Holbrook.

“It takes a heck of a coach to be able to see two, three or four years down the track, and I think he’s got that capability.”

Hagan said it was about the ability of Holbrook to not only invest in the Hunter region’s great junior base, but reconnect the footy team to the town.

Roby said Holbrook did the same thing when he got to St Helens and asked the players to become more involved in the local community.

“When an overseas coach comes to St Helens you notice how they are as a person but also how they integrate into the local environment,” Roby said.

“Justin got invested in everything about the town and that was a big thing for a club like St Helens. It’s a working-class town and I think he understood what St Helens stood for.

“He understood what supporters wanted. Justin gave us that bit of freedom and a confidence to attack and I think the supporters really started to enjoy watching that.

“Justin was very keen on making sure that we were connected more with the town and ultimately the fans bought into that. They could tell the players were getting more integrated with the community.”

From the moment Holbrook got to the Knights he knew he had to harness local talent, which had largely been missing for some time.

The likes of Fletcher Sharpe, Phoenix Crossland and Bradman Best are thriving under the new coach.

“Newcastle is very much a development club, so I think he put a lot of emphasis on the pathways and developing their own talent and it’s returning,” Hagan said.

“He’s got a really good IQ and he understands the football club mechanics of the Knights.

“Even this year, they’ve retained Greg Marzhew, Dom Young, Francis Manuleleua, Dylan Lucas and Kalyn Ponga, so that says a lot about him building the right environment, doesn’t it?”

Holbrook said when he came back to Newcastle it reminded him a lot of the north of England – a hard-working region that loves their rugby league.

TURNING THE KNIGHTS INTO A THREAT

After the club hired Holbrook, Hagan knew what the new coach was getting himself into.

“We got the wooden spoon in 2005 when I coached and we made the top four in 2006, so I have a reasonable understanding of how difficult it is to turn that around quickly,” Hagan said.

Last season, Newcastle could barely score a point.

Teams knew they weren’t an attacking threat – no-one was scared of them.

In less than 12 months they’ve gone from averaging 14 points a game to 26, which is a stunning turnaround.

Holbrook’s made them lethal.

“They’ve scored the fifth most number of tries (114) in the competition and last year they would have been near the bottom in that category. So they’ve had a more positive approach to their footy in attack,” Hagan said.

Knights skipper Ponga is one of the most complete players in the game – he can do everything.

Or that’s what everyone, probably himself included, thought until Holbrook arrived at the Knights.

Ponga said Holbrook had tips for him after every game.

“He’s awesome. He’s also just smart. He knows the game inside out. I’m learning so much from him even at 28,” Ponga said this week.

“He’s taught me how to approach different moments throughout the game or manage different moments throughout the game.

“Our game plan and our system is something that’s drawn into you every day, every week since the pre-season but there’s moments in games that you can learn from and he shows me those moments. He teaches me things so it’s been pretty cool.”

Holbrook said he felt “fortunate” to coach Ponga, who he said was more than a talented player and that’s why he kept him as captain, which he didn’t do at St Helens when he promoted Roby.

“Kalyn’s highly skilled but highly competitive and that’s what I love about Kalyn. He’s relaxed by nature but he wants to win as much as anyone I’ve met,” Holbrook said.

“We lean on him in terms of tactics and I’ve done that at all the teams I’ve coached.”

CAN NEWCASTLE BREAK THE HALFBACK CURSE?

Holbrook has done at the Knights what he did at St Helens – reinvigorated them immediately.

But he’s had to do it while facing the worst possible scenario – losing the No. 1 halfback at the club, Dylan Brown.

Winning a competition without the leading halfback in a club has proved virtually impossible since 1980 when the great Steve Mortimer steered Canterbury to a title.

Between then and now, the list of premiership-winning halfbacks reads like the who’s who of playmakers.

From the Sterlings, to the Stuarts, Langers, Johnses, Cronks, and Clearys, the vast majority of premiers have had a half that’s in the top three in the competition.

If the Knights are to win the premiership in 2026 they’ll have to do it without Brown, who did his ACL in Round 21.

In 2017 the Cowboys made an unlikely run to the grand final without Johnathan Thurston before being well-beaten by the Storm.

Who was the last team to win a premiership without their first-choice halfback?

“I’m the only one that would know that answer,” Hagan said.

“It was me.”

Hagan famously filled in for Mortimer at the back end of the 1988 season before playing No. 7 in the grand final win over Balmain.

Coach Phil Gould gave club legend Mortimer time in the final minutes and he took to the field with a huge cast on his broken arm.

While the game’s changed a lot since then, Hagan said the Knights halves combination of Sandon Smith and Fletcher Sharpe should not be underestimated.

“Dylan’s been out for a while so even though it’s hard to win without your starting half, they’ve probably still won their share of games without Dylan,” Hagan said.

“Sandon Smith is more than capable of running the team. I think he’s been quite instrumental.

“I think he and Fletcher Sharpe have got a good combination. So, you know, with Ponga at the back and Phoenix Crossland, I think they’re a good chance of progressing.”

Holbrook treated the injury to Brown like he did his sacking at the Titans.

“You just got to get on with it,” he said.

“We’ve been able to adapt all year and we’ve got to do it now.

“It’s probably good that we’ve had a few weeks without Dylan there, so it’s given Sandon and Fletcher and Kalyn time together to really gel.”

With Brown out, Smith will simplify his game by running straight which will give Sharpe and superstar fullback Ponga more space to do their thing.

“Kalyn can really be the dominant person when they want to go into their attack on either edge of the field, so I think Sandon and Fletcher complement each other well,” Hagan said.

“I think Justin’s given them a lot of confidence in the way they play as a team. So he’s done a really good job in that regard.”

CAN THE DEPLETED KNIGHTS GO ALL THE WAY?

Despite having halfback history against them, Hagan thinks the Knights season will depend on what the depleted forward pack can do.

Heading into Friday night’s match against Souths, the Knights will be missing starting forwards Dylan Lucas and Jacob Saifiti.

“It’s going to be difficult because they’ve lost a couple of their key forwards. That’s always the challenge when you’re running without a couple of your starting players at this time of year,” Hagan said.

“They’ve kept their backline intact and their key players intact, so I still think they’ve got the game.”

And expect plenty of points at Allianz Stadium.

“I think the game has changed where defensively you’ve got to be good. I don’t think you have to be a real mighty, defensively, like Penrith were in those four premierships,” Hagan said.

“Brisbane, last year, were able to score points in that back end of the season and the Knights have got that.

“It’s whether their forwards can stand up to the pressure, to allow the backs to score points. I think that’s their biggest challenge.”

THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING FOR NEWCASTLE

If the Knights go down to Souths on Friday night it will still be considered a successful season after collecting the spoon last year and suffering terribly due to injuries.

Coming from seventh to win the title has never happened so history is against them.

But Knights fans shouldn’t worry too much.

It took Holbrook three seasons for St Helens to win the title.

And from there they just kept winning and took out the next three Super League titles under now-Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf.

“Justin changed the trajectory of the club,” Roby said.

“He set us up for success and left us after winning the grand final. Kristian Woolf came after him and I’m obviously not downplaying anything Kristian did because he was amazing as well, but it was definitely helped by what Justin had done before him.

“He’s right up there with the best coach I’d ever had. I always say it when I think back to the best coaches I’ve had from my career, it’s kind of the ones you win trophies with.

“What you want is players who want to play for the coach and he definitely did that when he was at St Helens and I can imagine that’s the same now at Newcastle.

“He can read a room. He’ll put his arm around you but also give you a kick up the arse if you need it. The best coach’s are the best communicators. They make things very clear for the players there’s no grey area and they’re direct.”

Holbrook said he has always believed that a coaches’ energy and enthusiasm rubs off on the staff and players at a club.

Before the players run out onto the field on Friday night, Holbrook won’t talk to them too much, preferring to do all that during the week at training.

But when they head out onto the field, they’ll do it knowing exactly what their job is.

“It’s the players that have got to run out there and perform for you so there’s no point in being a complete dictator when they’re the ones out there,” Holbrook said.

“I always feel if you include them in the way you want to play and they buy into it, then you’re going to have success.”

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