If the Knights fall to 13th on the NRL standings after the season’s last three rounds, Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien may have up to the last two years of a new contract extension declared worthless.
Following a golden-point loss to Cronulla last week, which left O’Brien’s team in 11th place, four points outside the top eight, Newcastle’s dreams of playing finals football were put on life support.
As part of a contract extension he signed to at the beginning of the season, the Knights coach’s future is tied to the team’s standing in the league, thus the loss might have a significant impact.
At the beginning of the year, O’Brien’s manager Isaac Moses reached an agreement with the Knights management to extend his contract, which was set to expire at the end of 2024, through the end of 2027.
The team’s results will determine the final year and maybe 2026. If the team folds in the last three weeks of this season, O’Brien might have to struggle to keep his job in 2025.
According to sources familiar with O’Brien’s contract status who spoke to the Herald under the condition of anonymity because of confidentiality agreements, the Knights must place 12th or higher this season in order to qualify for the 2027 campaign.
The Herald previously stated that his contract might be affected by performance stipulations in 2025; however, a Knights source asserts that the sole clause concerns the team’s 2024 performance.
When the Herald reached out to O’Brien on Tuesday afternoon, he declined to comment. The terms of O’Brien’s contract were unknown to general manager Peter Parr, and Knights CEO Philip Gardner would not comment.
Gardner told the Herald, “Your contract should remain confidential, just as the contracts of the Newcastle Knights’ players and staff will remain confidential.”