Skye Taylor is two years old and has just learnt to shout "go Knights!"
"She sees the word 'sport' on the TV and she shouts 'go Knights!'," her dad, Newcastle rugby league referee Tom Taylor said. "She could be watching snooker; 'go Knights!'
"Every time she sees a Knights jersey, she yells out 'go Knights'."
The Knights made history last year when the club won its first NRLW premiership, and blitzed the Parramatta Eels in a thrilling 32-12 grand final victory.
The club will play for back-to-back titles on Sunday after beating the Brisbane Broncos 30-24 at McDonald Jones Stadium in front of more than 12,000 people - a record crowd for a stand-alone NRLW match.
When the team raised the trophy under the clock tower at city hall in front of a legion of fans at Civic Park, it felt like that unmistakable, infectious energy the town has for its football team had returned.
"It's something that we haven't had for a long time," Mr Taylor said. "Everyone's talking about the footy now. People are bringing up footy who wouldn't normally talk about it, which is really cool."
Mr Taylor's second daughter, Kirra, has just signed up to play touch football, inspired by the local team's outstanding success.
"Because the women are going so well, it's put her in the mood to play," he said.
Lily Ryan, captain of her South Newcastle team, has been playing for two years. She grew up watching her dad and brothers play rugby league and wanted nothing but to be out on the field with them. This week, she and eight other local juniors from the Hunter are in Port Macquarie contesting the Australian Secondary Schools Championships.
"I always envied not being able to play," Lily said. "And then, two years ago, Mum asked if I would like the chance to play and I was like, 'that would be so cool'.
"We organised a team with my friends and got them all in. It was a tough first year because it's a pretty new sport for girls but it went really well and everyone loved it and came back the next year.
"There are 10 teams in our comp now and they have two divisions in the 15s."
She said the success of the Knights women had led to an influx of local interest from girls coming through the younger grades.
"Especially with the girls winning the minor premiership this year; it's such a great vision for us to look forward to. It's so amazing watching all these role models like Hannah, Jesse, Tamika, Caitlan, Yasmin, all of them. They're so great."
Lisa Malloy has been following the Knights since she was a young girl in 1988, turning up rain, hail and shine to support the Red and Blue. She said the club had been through its highs and lows, but seeing the team's success, particularly in the women's grade, had been inspiring.
"They have done really well," she said.
"To see them possibly go back-to-back is really exciting.
"I think it's nice too to see some of the young players, both boys and girls, come through with Newcastle ... not just play a couple of seasons, get their name out there and go on to one of the big Sydney clubs. It's nice to see the players want to stick around and make Newcastle their home club."
The Knights women face the Titans on Sunday in Sydney and are vying to bring the trophy home a second time in as many years.
"The Gold Coast are doing what the Knights did in 2021/22, going from the bottom of the ladder to the Grand Final," Mr Taylor said. "We can't take them lightly, but I think our chances are good. I think, if both teams are at their best, Newcastle will have the win."
