After only a week of pre-season training, Knights players and officials have set a high bar for the club's second NRLW campaign.
At a season launch on Tuesday, new recruit Hannah Southwell declared she joined the Knights to win a premiership, prop Caitlan Johnston said her goal was a title and club CEO Phil Gardner said there was "high" expectations for the new-look team.
After the club failed to win a game in its inaugural campaign earlier this year, the NRLW squad has been bolstered by a host of new recruits for the upcoming season.
Southwell, who claimed an NRLW premiership with the Sydney Roosters last season, is confident the Knights are going to be in a position to challenge for a title.
"We've got a mixed bag of players," the Cameron Park product said.
"We're just really excited to rip in, hopefully get a couple of wins this season and come away with the premiership."
In addition to Southwell, the Knights brought Hunter-bred players Yasmin Clydsdale and Olivia Higgins back home from the Roosters. The club also landed former Brisbane stars Tamika Upton and Millie Boyle.
The new recruits joined the likes of Romy Teitzel, Caitlan Johnston and Kirra Dibb, who returned following the luckless first campaign, for pre-season training last week.
Johnston, from Belmont, was the club's first NRLW signing ahead of their maiden campaign but suffered an injury in the club's first game and missed the rest of the season.
But after playing a starring role for NSW in the recent State of Origin match, alongside and against some of her Knights teammates, Johnston said her focus for the NRLW season was to "win a premiership".
Newcastle NRLW coach Ron Griffiths said "attitude and effort" would be key to the club's chances this season, due to begin on Sunday, August 21. The Knights host the Broncos first-up in a 6pm match straight after the 4pm NRL game against the Raiders.
"Expectations are: we respect the jersey, the community and the club," he said.
"Above all else, attitude and effort are the most important thing we can bring to training. Team-first will be in everything we do."
Knights CEO Phil Gardner the club had prioritised the NRLW team in light of the growth of the women's game in recent years.
"The pace and growth and the skills shown by women in rugby league has been astounding," he said.
"To think where we are today in women's sport in such a short period of time, is a credit to all the people that have been involved in driving the pathways for women to come into rugby league."
