New era dawns for battling Knights

NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg is confident Newcastle can become a rugby league powerhouse again after the league agreed to sell the club to the local Wests Group.

The NRL yesterday confirmed the Knights will likely have new owners by the start of November, after they saved the club from financial peril in 2014.

Under the deal, Wests will spend up to A$10 million on a centre of excellence for the club, while also investing A$2.5 million into junior rugby league in the Hunter over the next five years.

A plebiscite of Wests’ 120,000 members will begin today and close in early August, as the group awaits their approval before proceeding with the purchase.

‘‘When the NRL took over the Knights in 2014 we needed to secure the financial future of the club and then deliver the best possible ownership to run the club into the future,’’ Greenberg

‘ There is now every opportunity for the Knights to become a powerhouse.’ TODD GREENBERG