LACHLAN Fitzgibbon played through Newcastle's darkest days.
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He was part of the Knights sides that collected three wooden-spoons across 2015-17. He also experienced the record 19-game losing streak, an incredible 336 days between victories.
So after six-straight wins, and ahead of Newcastle's first sell-out in more than a decade - a crunch clash with South Sydney on Sunday which could prove decisive in the finals race - how does he feel?
"It's well documented I went through some lean years here," Fitzgibbon, speaking to the Newcastle Herald on Wednesday, said.
"[But] the crowd has always shown up for us.
"Our supporters are the best in the comp, I believe.
"This being my last year at the club, it makes it pretty special for me.
"I've been on probably both ends of the spectrum now - a couple of lean years and hopefully we finish this year on the high.
"To be able to play in front of a sold-out crowd, which will probably be the only time in my career I'll get to do it, will be pretty special."
Newcastle's most recent sell-out was in 2012, when 29,482 attended a Knights-Bulldogs match. Since then, only twice has there been more than 26,000.
"I didn't realise it was 2012," Fitzgibbon, who will play his 118th game on Sunday, said. "I was a pretty avid Knights supporter before I started playing for the club, so this is a special occasion ... especially knowing where we're at in the season and what we can get out of it."
![Lachlan Fitzgibbon is savouring his last few games with the Knights. Picture by Jonathan Carroll Lachlan Fitzgibbon is savouring his last few games with the Knights. Picture by Jonathan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/max.mckinney/5181fa7c-fcf5-4dc1-9329-fe34ae0b6e02.jpg/r0_0_4817_3211_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Placed seventh, Newcastle are one point ahead of Souths on the ladder. A victory would put them in the box seat to secure a finals berth with another two games left to play. A loss would result in the Rabbitohs leapfrogging them, and depending on other results, they could also drop out of the top eight.
For Fitzgibbon, making the finals is more important than ever. He is leaving the Knights at the end of the season to join Warrington for the next three years.
Six weeks ago, after the deal was announced, the 29-year-old said he was keen to play out the NRL season, rather than join the Super League club early, because he thought Newcastle could sneak into the top eight.
At the time, the Knights had just beaten Canterbury 66-0, but the thought of them actually making a run to the finals, given they were still 14th, seemed fairly unlikely.
"I did believe this could transpire," Fitzgibbon said.
"We lost some pretty tight games against some pretty quality opposition; Penrith by one in golden point, the Broncos we lost on the very last play of the game and the Manly game we missed a goal on full-time.
"If a couple of games had swung our way, we could have been sitting in the eight for the majority of the year.
"We always believed in what we are, and what we were building as a footy side. We just weren't getting the results to reflect that.
"It's good that, the last six weeks, we've showed the supporters and the NRL that we are a good footy side and our brandy of footy competes against the best."
Speaking about his move to Warrington, Fitzgibbon admitted he could have switched clubs mid-season.
"Warrington were going through a bit themselves, they'd lost a few games and their coach was under pressure," he said.
"There were some feelers out there to try and get me over early, but I wanted to finish my career here at the Knights on a high and I wanted to go out the right way.
"Slipping out the back door just probably wouldn't sit right with me."
Warrington recently sacked coach Daryl Powell, who Fitzgibbon spoke with before signing, and appointed Rabbitohs assistant Sam Burgess, who has also since been in touch.
"I'm looking forward to working under him," Fitzgibbon said. "From all reports, he is a great leader, a great people person and he knows what a winning culture is.
"I'll probably catch up with him in the off-season, but I'll focus on getting past his Bunnies this weekend first."
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