THE Newcastle Knights may not have walked away victorious, but fans considered being back in the McDonald Jones Stadium stands a win.
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Sheridan Morton attended the team's first game in 1988 plus the 1997 and 2001 grand finals and said she felt "thankful" the club had chosen to reward members who had pledged their fees with entry to the July 12 and July 26 home games.
"It was that first Newcastle chant - it really got you in the feels," she said.
"It was much more satisfying than yelling at the tv.
"I assume the players and the referee could hear me - I had a friend sitting across the field who said 'I can hear you from here'.
"7500 and 20,000 Newcastle fans actually sound pretty similar, especially when that chant goes up, it echoes."
Ms Morton said she could also hear "every hit".
"We grew up going to Newcastle rugby league games and it felt like being at a local game, like a Wests versus Lakes in the heyday, you could hear everything everyone said, every call and hit on the field."
Ms Morton said the atmosphere was tinged with a "bit more camaraderie, people were smiling at each other and talking to each other".
"Everyone was a bit excited to be back at the football, we did not think we'd come back to a game this year, so we were a bit shocked to go back, but happily so."
She attended with her mum Beverley, 76, sister Nicole, friend Heather Jose and Ms Jose's son Thomas, 5.
"He started coming to the football last year and he was counting down to this year starting," she said.
"We've tried to make the football as exciting for him as we could without being there, we were gathering at my house for home games, wearing our jerseys, waving flags and Thomas was painting his face.
"To be able to see him so happy to be back there today was the best."
Dan Sutton was also at the team's first home game, but grew up in Lismore before moving to Brisbane, from where he used to sometimes fly to Newcastle for home games.
He moved with wife Heidi and son Bryson, 10, to Ourimbah last year and was planning to attend as many games as possible this year.
"It was good to be back at the home ground - a pity about the rain, but for a small crowd the atmosphere was really good," he said.
"Everyone was very loud and very passionate."
He said it felt different having fans scattered, but they were united in not being able to see the problem with Tex Hoy's no try.
"That was a bit disappointing," he said.
"To be honest at least you can see exactly what happened when you're watching on tv, but we were all a bit mystified as to why that wasn't a try."
Ben Patrick of Cardiff said while he didn't get to hire a corporate box for his wife Lisa's milestone birthday as he intended few weeks ago, it was an "awesome" to be back with her and daughter Emily, 11.
"It was good to be there, sure was, just a shame about the result." He said he did notice a difference to fans' behaviours.
"People were backing off, no-one knew what to do, where to sit, were trying to stay away from everyone else.
"But apart from that it was the same screaming, the same yelling."