STEVE Simpson was a true rugby league warrior during an illustrious career with the Newcastle Knights.
The former international and NSW Origin forward never took a backward step and proved to be an iron man and enforcer in the Knights’ premiership-winning 2001 NRL team.
As a rookie first-grade coach with the Northern Hawks club in this year’s Newcastle Rugby League Denton Engineering Cup competition, Simpson can reflect on a campaign that featured “promising signs” and plenty of near-misses.
He instilled a steely resolve among a top grade squad that finished eighth on the premiership ladder with 12 points from six victories – the club’s most first grade wins in a single season.
Simpson labelled it a “building block season” for the club with everyone still optimistic about what’s ahead.
The Hawks closed out their 2026 regular season last Saturday with a 38-26 loss to sixth-placed Lakes United in a high-scoring tussle at Belmont’s Cahill Oval.
The six triumphs were a strong marker of growth, given the Hawks are only in their fourth season in the Denton Cup, competing against clubs with more than 70 years of history behind them.
Half back Noah Ryan, winger Timanu Alexander, fullback Shaq Saunders and second rower Ethan Campbell scored tries for the Hawks, who matched it with Lakes for long stretches.
Seagulls centre Kyran Blair booted five conversions from seven attempts to help seal a hard-fought victory.
First-half completion (53 per cent) proved the difference – well below Lakes’ 71 per cent – feeding into 40 missed tackles and seven line breaks conceded.
The Hawks’ second-half completion climbed to 91 per cent, pointing to a fixable execution issue rather than a structural one.
There was no joy for the Northern club in the lower grades, with the reserve grade side finishing seventh after a 42-6 loss to Lakes United and the under-19s finishing sixth after suffering a 34-10 defeat to the Seagulls.
On a black weekend for the Hawks, Wests Newcastle sent Northern tumbling out of the finals race in the Women’s Milleen Cup on percentages after a gallant win.
By Chris KARAS
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