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Just before the buzzer goes on 2022, Newcastle Knights coach Adam O'Brien joins Barry Toohey to look back on this year's rocky season for the Newcastle Knights. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Half a century ago, Doug Walters was among the most loved and acclaimed cricketers in Australia. And the legend lives on. Now 76, Dungog's famous sporting son still spends many of his weekends in Sydney doing what he is passionate about - teaching kids how to play cricket. In a special Toohey's News podcast this week, we go one-on-one with the man who earned the nickname 'Dashing Doug' for his cavalier batting exploits. All the funny stories, his famed drinking and smoking exploits - they're all here. He reveals the greatest cricketer he ever saw and the fastest bowler he faced. "It's a compelling interview," Host Barry Toohey says, "Have a listen." Have your say or suggest a guest for an upcoming episode by contributing a rating and review in your Apple Podcasts app, or get in touch via email at news@newcastleherald.com.au. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There has been two names dominating the news coming from the Newcastle Knights this week - Kalyn Ponga and Kurt Mann. Ponga and Mann remain in the spotlight after they were filmed being escorted out of a toilet cubicle at Hotel Delany on Saturday night. Both Newcastle and the NRL say they have no reason to be concerned that drugs could be involved, with claims Ponga was ill after celebrating the purchase of a house and was being aided by Mann. NRL CEO Andrew Abdo on Wednesday defended the integrity unit's decision to investigate. It's believed the pair were drug tested on Tuesday. However, that is unlikely to shed any public light on the matter. This week, on Toohey's News: The Podcast, host Barry Toohey unpacks the latest in the unfolding saga to dissect how Knights' fans are finding their faith tested, and - amid the turmoil - tries to find the silver lining on the storm cloud as the Knights' women's team plan to kick off their season at the weekend. Joining a jam-packed show, new Knights' NRLW coach Ron Griffiths calls in the talk about his team's chances as they have prepared through a blitzkrieg four-week pre-season ahead of this weekend's game. The former Kurri Kurri, Maitland and Greta-Branxton mentor has more recently been working full-time at the Wests Tigers. He's also held roles with NRL women's and men's Indigenous All Stars, state junior Indigenous teams as well as locally for Mindaribba. He takes over from Casey Bromilow following Newcastle's inaugural NRLW season. Listen to the latest episode of Toohey's News: The Podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Newcastle Knights have signed long-serving North Queensland Cowboys official Peter Parr as their new director of football. Parr, a born-and-bred Novocastrian, was a premiership-winning centre for South Newcastle in the district competition in the late 1980s before leaving his home town for coaching and administrative roles with the Western Reds, Adelaide Rams, Brisbane Broncos and Cowboys. He served as CEO, football manager and director of football at the Cowboys during a 21-year stint that incorporated their golden era, which produced a premiership in 2015 and grand final appearances in 2005 and 2017. He has also been football manager for the NSW Blues in recent seasons. Parr's appointment is expected to ease the burden on Philip Gardner, who for almost five years has juggled the dual roles of chief executive of the Wests Group and the Knights. In a revealing interview this week with Toohey's News host Barry Toohey, Parr reveals some of his plans to turn the club's losses around and transform the Knights to contenders within the NRL competition. In a wide-ranging conversation, Parr opens up on the fallout from the club's most recent drama surrounding star player David Klemmer, as well as a few key strategies he plans to implement as he gets underway in his new appointment. Have your say or suggest a guest for an upcoming episode by contributing a rating and review in your Apple Podcasts app, or get in touch via email at news@newcastleherald.com.au. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Russell Richardson may have started his career in rugby league, but it has been as a Newcastle publican that he has left his mark on the city. In a wide-ranging interview on this week's episode of Toohey's News: The Podcast, Richardson joins host Barry Toohey to look back on his career after rugby league, and the Newcastle Knights, which began with his first pub in Tamworth and has now grown to a stable of popular nightclubs in Newcastle. From his season with the Newcastle Knights after a playing stint with Cronulla to the future of the popular music venue, The Cambridge Hotel, this week's episode is not one to miss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the latest episode of Toohey's News: The Podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Robert "Rip" Taylor has forgotten more coaching achievements than most will ever achieve ... literally. In 2015, the Newcastle Herald wrote of Taylor's then-36 year career that he had taken his teams to 30 finals series, 23 grand finals, and won 12 premierships at clubs including Lakes United, Parramatta, Bellingen and Grafton. But when his long list of achievements were laid out in this week's episode of Toohey's News: The Podcast, even the legendary coach himself was surprised to hear one or two of his countless accolades. Taylor joins host Barry Toohey this week to look back on his outstanding career, the players he fostered to rugby league greatness, and his one-time alter-ego as a wrestling superstar Rick Flair. Search "Toohey's News: The Podcast" on your preferred podcast app to listen to the full episode now.

Listen to the latest episode of Toohey's News: The Podcast on Spotify, Apple, Google, or wherever you like to listen.

Take a seat in the trainers' stand at the back of Broadmeadow Racecourse's grandstand and ask Kris Lees why he hasn't left Newcastle for the big smoke and he will tell you. "I grew up there," pointing towards the red brick cottage near one end of the Broadmeadow Racecourse's long straight. "I went to school there," with a nod to Merewether High School at the opposite end, "... and I am very happy right here." Lees has long had the CV to command a spot in any trainers' stand in the world, whether it be with stables in Sydney or even the Asian racing hubs of Hong Kong or Singapore, but the proud Novocastrian is happy to be beating the big guns from his hometown. Lees joins Barry Toohey for the 18th episode of the Toohey's News Podcast, season three, to look back on a stellar career in racing, taking up his legendary father's legacy, and the future of racing in the Hunter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Woolnough speaks about his new coaching role and falling foul of coach Brian Smith's controversial player clean-out.

Willie Peters is bound for England next year but has unfinished business at the Knights.

Jayden Brailey talks personal "embarrassment" and his journey back from long-term injury.

Garth Brennan first appeared on Toohey's News back in May, 2021. At the time, he had just left the Gold Coast Titans in somewhat controversial circumstances, and had stepped away from coaching in the NRL to take up a role in real estate. Now, a little more than a year later, history repeated as the news broke Brennan would step down from his role with the Newcastle Knights Pathways program to focus more of his time with his family in the wake of his father's death at the age of 80. Brennan parted ways with the Newcastle Knights this week after nine months in the club's junior development job, and said though he had no hard feelings on his departure, and still had a passion for rugby league, felt he wasn't on the "same page" with the club and needed to put his family first. "I love the club. I want the club to be successful," Brennan told the Newcastle Herald. "I went in there with all good intentions of building some structures and pathways that would hopefully allow the club to have some long-term success. "But it takes time. It's not a quick fix. "Over the last couple of weeks, I had some discussions with the club about how the pathways and structures should look. "I just felt I wanted to do it my way, and if we weren't on the same page, we were better off going our separate ways. "For it to be successful, everyone needs to be on the same page. "There needs to be agreement about how things should be done. "If there are any doubts or questions, then it's probably not going to work." After accepting the pathways role with Newcastle, which also incorporates their women's teams as well as the men, he started to realise football was again becoming all-encompassing. "It is a massive job," he said. "The club want someone who's committed to it 24-7 and the demands of the job were starting to take a toll. "In the past, my family probably has gone on the backburner because of football, and I'm not in a position where I'm willing to do that any more. "With my dad passing away within the last few weeks, it probably rammed home to me how important family is. "It made me think about what's important in life, and I came to the realisation that I want to spend more time with my wife and my kids." In light of the news - and with regular Toohey's News: The Podcast host Barry Toohey taking a break - this week, we're revisiting Brennan's first appearance on the show

He played more than 100 games for the Roosters and the Eels and carried the flag for both state and country, but it was as an administrator that John Quayle had his greatest impact on the sport of rugby league. In the 1980s and '90s, Quayle was responsible for shaping the future of the game and, though now retired, is still widely regarded as one of Australia's top sports administrators in any code. Quayle joins Barry Toohey for this week's Toohey's News Podcast, from his vineyard in the Hunter Valley to look back on his most formative experiences in the top job. Search "Toohey's News: The Podcast" on your preferred podcast app to listen to the full episode now. Have your say or suggest a guest for an upcoming episode by contributing a rating and review in your Apple Podcasts app, or get in touch via email at news@newcastleherald.com.au. Barry Toohey will bring a new episode to all your favourite podcasting apps every week, complementing his premium and exclusive Knights reporting and analysis in the pages of the Newcastle Herald. Toohey's News will be back with another episode on Thursday.

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