Following the Newcastle All Blacks' Koori Knockout triumph in October, the Central Coast Regional Sporting and Recreation Complex in Tuggerah has been named as hosts to one of the rugby league calendar's biggest events in 2023.
Last year's winners at the 50th Knockout over Walgett Aboriginal Connection 22-16, NAB proudly field a side with players exclusively from their own backyard.
An hour south from their home, the Novacastrians and Awakabal men look to go back to back when more than 140 teams from around NSW embark on Darkinjung country for the four day-long carnival over the October long weekend.
Koori Knockout is traditionally hosted by the previous by the previous year's winner.
The venue was booked within 24 hours of NAB taking out the top-gong in the men's competition late last year, a welcome return after they similarly hosted the knockout there in 2019.
"It was such a success and ran so smoothly, it was hard to pass up the (Central Coast) Council's offer of help to support the event again," NAB president Edward Smith said.
"The competition has expanded to include more divisions in the competition and Tuggerah is the best complex to cater for the extra games.
"In addition to a showcase of some amazing rugby league talent, this event promotes active lifestyles, and celebrates the culture of Australia's First Nations Peoples."
NAB treasurer and all-round organiser Carol Widders says the small team in charge have "a lot to do" and will required some financial backing, but look forward to replicating the response from the last time they hosted.
Ms Widders said word quickly spread around the 2019 knockout being the best display in the event's history.
"We're slowly going through, ticking our to-do list and getting things done," she said.
"The players are all here, they're all excited and they can't wait for it to happen and go back to back.
"The thing is, no one has a facility like this where you've got all the games in one field… we're all here."
While the All Blacks would prefer to host the 51st Knockout on their own Country and in their home city, they're pleased to get it up "just up the road" in rugby league heartland; a reflection of the carnival's history bringing Indigenous communities together for some of the country's best footy.
"They're just fantastic events. They're celebrations of community and celebrations of culture, celebrations of sport," Central Coast Council chief executive David Farmer said.
"This particular event is the largest and the most significant (of its kind).
"Imagine if you're a bricklayer and you work 40 hours a week and you come and strip down on a Sunday to play a game of footy and you're having a rest in the blindside and Ben Barber and Latrell Mitchell are coming at you.
"That's the nature of the Koori Knockout. Amateurs, once a year players and absolutely elite sportspeople getting together to celebrate their culture and their community.
"We're really pleased to be able to have a facility that is able to host this."
The 2023 Koori Knockout will be held in partnership between NAB and the Central Coast Council with support from the local Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council from October 29 to November 1.
Grassroots, amateur competition and NRL stars play in the carnival across mens, womens and junior competitions annually.
