After his 300th NRL game, Dane Gagai has no intention of slowing down as he hopes to bring the club and its supporters back towards the top-end of the competition.

The Knights celebrated one of their all-time greats at home against the Eels on Friday night, despite the 28-6 loss.

At Magic Round, Gagai celebrated 200 first grade games in red and blue across two stints within a 15 year career.

Gagai became the 54th player to reach the 300 game milestone, and fifth Indigenous player behind the likes of Dally M Medallists Cliff Lyons and Johnathan Thurston, Sam Thaiday and Scott Prince.

His footy-mad son Dante was Knights ballboy this weekend, as he was in Brisbane for his dad's 200th with the club.

"That was probably the most special moment for myself - having my son run us out on to the field...I remember doing it for my dad," Gagai told reporters at the club this week.

Before reinvigorating his NRL career in Newcastle from 2012, the Mackay product had a short-lived start at the Broncos - where his father Ray, Gagai's inspiration and favourite player growing up, as he said through the week, once spent time without a first grade appearance.

"I always backed myself. You do rookie camps and you hear the stats and that only four out of 20 players are going to make it. It's not arrogance, but I was confident that I could do it, and I just put my hand up as being one of the four," he said.

He spent six years in the Hunter before joining South Sydney for an impressive four years, then coming back to where he'd made his name.

Gagai admitted he knew nothing about Newcastle before arriving, he told local broadcaster NBN, and had some early struggles putting on size as a young player before then-Knights coach Wayne Bennett placed his faith in the future Origin star.

"I just fell in love with the place, fell in love with the fans and got the second opportunity to come back. I'm just grateful for the career I've had."

Times were tough with success few and far between for the Novocastrians during the period.

By 2015, Gagai had started what would become a legendary State of Origin career, scoring the opener on debut in a 52-6 demolition to reclaim the shield after the Blues had snapped the state's run of eight-straight shields the previous year.

Gagai went back-to-back-to-back in his first three years of Origin football.

Across 23 appearances for his state, the 34-year-old has helped Queensland to five series wins alongside seven matches for Australia, and becoming a duel Indigeous and Māori All Star within a strong representative football CV.

Gagai told reporters this week he's not starting at the finish line just yet, with a task still at hand.

"Obviously you've got yourself in a position. Hard work always pays off...just never forget the enjoyment side of it," he said as his advice to younger players as an elder statesman.

"I'm about to be 300 games into my NRL career, but I get just as excited to drive into the stadium and lace up the boots and run on that field, as I did when I made my debut," Gagai said int he lead up to the match.

"We all started off somewhere. Until I lose that passion or I can't keep up, then I'm definitely going to keep going."

Gagai said his focus for 2025 is getting the Knights back on track.

The club are struggling, with three wins from their opening ten matches.

"This team has always been outstanding in that area (effort), It's just about getting our details right and a little bit of discipline... we need to get our season back on track and try to chase that top eight."

Knights coach Adam O'Brien said this week the veteran comes from "good stock" - his dad Ray playing into his forties in Queensland.

"He's an extension of the coaching staff," O'Briend said of Gagai, "He knows the game so well, so he makes those around him better, whether it be the coaching staff or younger players".

NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo congratulated Gagai for "an extraordinary achievement and a reflection of Dane's talent, resilience and dedication".

"Dane has forged a remarkable career across more than a decade, representing the Brisbane Broncos, South Sydney Rabbitohs, and Newcastle Knights," Abdo said.

"He has made an enormous impact on the game at both club and representative levels, proudly representing Australia, starring for Queensland in State of Origin, and celebrating his heritage by representing both the Indigenous and Māori All Stars."

Gagai said this week: "I just love playing the game".

"I never came into this game chasing accolades…I'm still playing the game. I don't plan on leaving the game anytime soon, so I'll have plenty of time to reflect on my career when I hang the boots up," the milestone man said.

"In the meantime, I'm just focused on playing good footy for the team, and trying to help get us in a position where we can have a crack at the finals."