Feb 8th, 2018

Feb 8th, 2018

Newcastle have set themselves the ambitious target of becoming the first NRL club to establish waiting lists for season ticketholders.

Following the highest-profile recruitment drive in Knights' history this off-season, support in Newcastle has surged for the club this summer.

All corporate boxes are already booked out for the entire season, while membership could increase by as much as 50 per cent to a record-equalling mark of 18,000 by the end of the year.

If that is the case, Knights officials will have to seriously consider installing a waiting list for prospective members in coming years.

Chief executive Philip Gardner project a limit of 20,000 season ticket holders, with 5,000 tickets to be left for away fans and week-by-week buyers, and the remaining 5,000 spots in the stadium left for junior player's passes.

"Over the next two or three years with good performances on the field, we certainly have the opportunity to have the stadium sold out season-to-season," Gardner told AAP.

"We're on track to have 15,000 ticketed members.

"The record for the club is 18,000 ticketed members. With some good performances we can reach that number."

Such a system would follow the likes of those used in the English Premier League, with Gardner keen to implement a similar atmosphere at Knights home games.

While crowds struggled to decade-long lows in Sydney in 2017, the Knights carried a state-high average of 15,600 despite ending the season with their third straight wooden spoon.

It also comes after a period of serious turmoil at the club before the most recent takeover from the Wests Newcastle group.

"We've come from three wooden spoons and before that we had the (Nathan) Tinkler era," Gardner said.

"You've got to think the brand was damaged as worse as it could have been through that period of time."

Much of the Knights' goals are dependent on potential turning into on-field results, with coach Nathan Brown set to be re-signed on a performance-based contract after similar incentives were offered to star recruit Mitchell Pearce.

The Knights will this month unveil a four-man committee of former players to oversee their football operations.

They also have room for two more marquee players in the form of a middle forward and outside back this season, following on from their first-up trial defeat of Melbourne on Wednesday.

"There's a great feeling within the club, we think we've got a great balance within the side," Gardner said.

"A couple more players we would need to be challenging for the top four but that will come over time for us."

©AAP2018