The Newcastle Knights are preparing for their first grand final in 25 years, triggering pandemonium in the city as memories of 1997 and 2001 come bubbling back to the surface.
This is the spot for all the grand final hype and build up, with stories coming in every day to keep you updated on the Knights' chances of finishing off their fairytale run.
Knights veteran Dane Gagai rates that as: "One of the greatest wins of my career."
Newcastle captain Kalyn Ponga reckons: "I've never experienced anything like that before."
Flying winger Dominic Young, who has now scored in all three NRL finals so far this year, says: "It still doesn't feel real".
Ever-reliable lock Mat Croker, who has played every single game of this campaign, sums it up simply with one word: "Proud".
Greg Marzhew, that's who, even admits: "I think a few of the boys are ready to make history."
Newcastle have qualified for an NRL grand final for the first time in 25 years and only 12 months after collecting the wooden spoon.
Here's what Knights players had to say after Sunday's down-to-12-men and come-from-behind victory over minor premiers the Penrith Panthers at a red-and-blue washed Accor Stadium. The score ended up 22-14.
The 35-year-old centre, who has played 339 NRL games and 23 Origins and a World Cup, opened up after full-time and ahead of his second GF appearance.
"It's up there with possibly the greatest performance from a team that I've ever been apart of," Gagai said amid celebrations at Olympic Park on September 27.
"Especially with that age bracket, some of those younger guys like Cody Hopwood, Fletcher Sharpe and all of these guys in the team and just that never-say-die attitude.
"That sort of what makes us who we are and our unity as Newcastle Knights and as a town, that's the people and a never-give-up attitude.
"That performance is right up there with one of the greatest wins of my career."
October 4 against the Roosters will mark Gagai's last outing for Newcastle before he joins the Broncos next season.
The Knights skipper was reduced to tears out in the middle.
Raw emotion not often seen by quite a cool, calm and collected character.
"It's hard to put into words what that one means," Ponga told the Newcastle Herald.
And while twice previously during 2026 he was involved in send-off games split across representative level and clubland, Sunday's preliminary final hit different. The visitors were trailing 14-6 at half-time.
"In terms of what was at stake and the effort we had to put in to win, I've never experienced anything like that before. Just grateful," Ponga said.
"That's got to be one of the best wins in history. To go on with 12 men against the minor premiers.
"We'll take a ton out of that, obviously enjoy this moment and be present, but looking forward to this week."
This UK product was still a teenager when he first travelled to the other side of the world to ply his trade in Newcastle.
Some five years later, albeit with a stint at upcoming opponents the Roosters in between, the English international finds himself bound for an NRL decider.
"It feels massive," he said.
"It's been a crazy journey looking back on it. I decided to come to Newcastle, found a home in Newcastle and glad it's paying off now."
In terms of the most recent 80 minutes: "It's pretty surreal. It hasn't sunk in yet. It still doesn't feel real."
Young has now crossed against the Rabbitohs, Warriors and Panthers during this finals campaign.
His corner effort just after the break was instrumental for the Knights getting back into the contest.
"After that early try [in the second half] built that belief back, our confidence grew and grew and grew, it was a massive effort."
Overall this leaves him just one try behind fellow Knights wideman Greg Marzhew (24).
"I've got to try and catch up with Greggy don't I? We've got a little race going on. See what happens," Young said.
The 27-year-old Nabiac native explains the whole experience like this: "The first word that comes to mind, I'm just so proud of the boys. To go through the adversity we went through in that game and still come out against the best team in the comp is just enormous. Such an awesome win."
Game eve played a role according to Croker: "We had a bit of a meeting last night and we spoke about what it would mean to make it [grand final]. A lot of blokes poured their heart out about what it would mean. It's probably where we found the energy to keep turning up for each other today. We had each other's backs and knew what it meant to everybody."
Crowd wise: "I'm keen to see what they do next week. I think there were 50,000 of them there today but there will be 80 and more hanging out the sides next week. We heard there was a bit of train trouble but that didn't dampen the spirits and they still turned out today."
It was mixed emotions for Greg Marzhew, starting with: "I'm still lost for words."
He feels Newcastle had a trial run of sorts last month when Jacon Saifiti was sent off against the Warriors in New Zealand.
"We had a bit of practice against the Warriors one man down, but to do that against the Panthers. I don't think anyone would have expected it," Marzhew said.
"We believed we could do it, but I'm still in shock. That was crazy."
Marzhew joined the Knights in 2023 as part of a trade with the Gold Coast Titans, where Justin Holbrook previously coached.
Newcastle are now one win away from a drought-breaking title after finishing bottom on the ladder last year.
"This time last year no one would have pictured this, being where we are," he said.
"I think a few of the boys are ready to make history."
Only the Roosters in 2010 have gone from wooden sppon to grand finalists the next season previously in the NRL era.
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