BEC Prestwidge has been to more Knights games than she can remember.
Home. Away. Countless kilometres. Unwavering support. Red and blue running through her veins since 1988.
But this Sunday marks an almighty effort to watch her NRL team live in enemy territory, flying the flag while severely outnumbered by Warriors fans at Eden Park.
It will be a hit-and-run mission, barely over 24 hours touched down in New Zealand, but an occasion the Belmont North woman simply didn't want to miss.
"I could cry to be honest," Prestwidge told the Newcastle Herald ahead of travelling across the Tasman.
"Very exciting obviously. This is massive, gigantic for the Knights and Newcastle and everyone who has followed them.
"Win or lose I just wanted to be there and I love that the boys feed off our support in the crowd.
"For me personally, to be able to go, is massive. It's not something I might have been able to do a year or two ago.
"I've been nervous ever since I bought the ticket, but so excited."
Prestwidge, who has held club membership for a decade, says "I could count on my hands how many home games I've missed the last 10 years."
She's also hit the road plenty of times, only ticking off usual Auckland venue Mount Smart Stadium, now called Go Media Stadium, last month.
"I went to New Zealand a few weeks ago for the last regular round and it was the first time I've been," she said.
"When the draw came out [for 2026] and it was the end of the year, we were straight onto it and I went with some friends.
"Before that I've been to Suncorp [Brisbane] lots of times, Townsville a couple of times, took mum down to Melbourne one year and heaps of Sydney.
"Eden Park will be new and Mount Smart recently was pretty much the last one to tick off.
"I didn't go to Vegas [season opener] and I haven't been to Perth, but every other ground I've watched them play."
Only last week Prestwidge, along with a fair share of Novocastrians, ventured down the M1 to see the Knights beat the Rabbitohs 20-10 in an elimination semi at Allianz Stadium.
"The New-cas-tle chant went up when the boys came out for the warm-up," she said.
"As soon as that happened I told my friend, 'something special is going to happen tonight'. It was pretty cool."
Manager at a women's domestic violence service, Prestwidge was aged eight when the Knights entered the top-flight rugby league competition and she holds fond childhood memories of standing on the old hill at Turton Road alongside family.
Jo Kelly, a recently retired nurse from Carrington, reckons "you'll hear me from over there" supporting the Knights from the North Island on Sunday.
Dudley's Mitchel Eastwood will also form a travelling contingent overseas alongside his wife, sister and brother-in-law.
Mother and son duo, Keitha and Bailey Thompson of Chisholm, are making the 4000-plus kilometre round trip after being unable to attend Las Vegas with injured husband/father Rob six months ago.
Tickets for Eden Park sold out inside 48 hours with NRL confirming this week that membership splits were 98-2 in favour of the Warriors. Capacity is roughly 50,000.
At least two establishments will potentially house away fans in NZ, firstly The FOX in West Auckland on Saturday (6pm) and secondly The Kingslander, just 10 minutes walk to the ground, on Sunday (1pm).
Back home and no doubt pubs and clubs across the region will welcome plenty of patrons on September 20.
Hamilton's Greenroof Hotel had decorated frontage with red and blue this week while The Cross Keys (Tighes Hill) and Young Street Hotel (Carrington) were both advertising live sites.
Tower Cinemas in King Street will also be showing the full 80 minutes on the big screen.
Kick-off is 4:05pm.
The Knights last beat the Warriors in New Zealand in 2019.
Not surprisingly, Kalyn Ponga was a the chief destroyer in a 36-18 triumph at Mount Smart Stadium, contributing half the points from a try and eight goals.
Sunday will be the first time the Knights have played at the 50,000-capacity Eden Park, which is the traditional home of the All Blacks and Auckland Blues rugby sides.
History is not on the Knights' side.
Eden Park has proved a graveyard for Australian sides.
The Kangaroos last won there in 2012, beating the Kiwis 20-12 in front of 35,329 fans.
You have to go back to 1986 for the most recent win by the Wallabies.
Alan Jones was coach. David Campese and Andrew Leeds crossed for tries in a 22-9 victory.
The NSW Waratahs have also struggled for results.
They beat the Auckland Blues 27-22 in 2009. Before that, they hadn't won at Eden Park since 1928.
However, the ACT Brumbies proved wins are possible, pipping the Blues 21-20 in the 2025 Super Rugby season.
