As Knights fever ripples across the Hunter in waves of giddy excitement, the desperate desire for merchandise has hit its highest level in ... well ... 25 years.
There's nothing like the sweet promise of a grand final to get fans in the mood for splashing a bit of cash on their team's colours.
A quarter-century is a long time between grand final drinks for the Knights' faithful. That 2001 triumph over the Parramatta Eels lives long in the memory.
Back then, when Joey was king, the Knights jerseys were made by Fila with two blue swervy shapes over a red background with a traditional white collar. [Yes, Fila does still exist].
Nowadays, the Knights proudly wear red and blue stripes. Whether they can earn their stripes with a win over the Panthers on Sunday remains to be seen.
Victory for the red and blue over the six-time premiers, especially in recent years, would be rarer than a black panther sighting.
We do, of course, believe in the elusive black panther, so we certainly believe a Knights victory is possible.
But let's get back to the most wonderful of sporting hobbies, buying merchandise when your team is winning.
We do hear Knights shirts, hats, scarves and Hawaiian shirts have been selling like hot cakes at the Knights club shop and local sports stores.
"The retro jersey is pretty popular at the moment and in stock at a sports store near you," said one store insider, who wasn't authorised to speak for his company, missing a glaring chance for a bit of free advertising.
Those Henny Penny jerseys have strong sentimental value in Newcastle, which isn't surprising. Who doesn't like chicken, chips and gravy? Or was that Chickadee Chicken we were thinking of?
Anyhow, let's make one thing clear. The Henny Penny name is great. It shows clever rhyming comedy existed well before RhymeZone and ChatGPT.
We also hear Knights merch has been selling well online, with one Express Post insider saying they were run off their feet in Newcastle.
Framed memorabilia has also been on offer, including one item dubbed the "Newcastle Knights NRL Superstars", apparently (or perhaps allegedly) signed by Bradman Best and selling on eBay for just $99.99.
You can also get a framed 2026 Newcastle Knights NRL finals football poster of Kalyn Ponga and his pals for just $99.99. No signatures on that one, but it's a "brand new, unused, unopened and undamaged item". Sweet!
As Newcastle tribalism reaches new heights, those who like to understand the human mind may fancy delving into the psychology of fan behaviour.
Fans tend to associate with or distance themselves from team outcomes through their apparel.
After a major victory, merchandise sales spike. Fans wear their team colours to feel part of the success, framing it as a personal achievement.
"We won," they cry.
This is known as "birging" (basking in reflected glory).
After a loss, fans often avoid wearing team gear to protect their self-esteem and distance themselves from the defeat. This is known as corfing (cutting off reflected failure).
Hardcore fans intentionally wear their team's jerseys during losing streaks to signal super loyalty. This apparently gives them social prestige within the fan community. This is known as coffing (cutting off future failure).
Let's all hope the Knights get up on Sunday, so a new wave of merch-buying can begin in earnest, amid hordes of fans wearing retro jerseys and boosting sales of burger combos at Henny Penny.
