The former player turned Knights football manager recalled the days when the club trained on public grounds, players prepared for field sessions out of shipping containers, and the amenities, well, they were portaloos.

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"That's the way it was," Buderus said. "We had demountable toilets, they were no-go zones, and did ice baths in Sulo bins.

"Our gear steward used to cut up the fruit; a little bit of rockmelon, watermelon and a drink of water, that was our post-training [routine].

"To see where it is now - the pathways for a rugby league player, and both genders, it's amazing."

The Knights, once one of rugby league's battlers, now boast a state-of-the-art headquarters at Broadmeadow, a stone's throw away from their home ground.

The Centre of Excellence, opened by Sports Minister Stuart Ayres on Thursday, puts the Knights on equal terms with the NRL's top sides, like reigning premiers Penrith who have used a similar facility for years.

The centre includes three fields, a gym, recovery pool, cinema, wrestling room, treatment areas and will soon have a museum-type space the public can visit.

"To have a home that we think is the best in the industry, that sets a benchmark for rugby league, is a fantastic achievement. It also shows where we are going as a club," Knights CEO Phil Gardner said.

"It's no longer good enough just to participate.

"We've got to deliver for our fans. Our fans own the club.

"Our players now have the best facilities, and we've got some of the best players in the game, we as a club can dare to dream and our fans can dare to dream with us."

Gardner said the centre would ultimately cost "north of $25 million", which the NSW government contributed $10 million towards.

But the Knights hope to make a few more additions, including a 1000-seat grandstand.

The vision is to have every Knights side train at the centre, from the juniors to NRL, ending years of displacement among the sides.

While Buderus said the players wanted for nothing back in the portaloo days and the lack of facilities actually helped steel the team, he was confident today's Knights would retain the same hard-working ethos.

"You never want to lose the fabric of the club," he said.

"We're playing for the Allan McMahon Shield on Sunday. He instilled the three Ts - tackles, toughness and tomorrows, and 'be the player you want to play with'.

"They were the foundations of what the club was built on and they'll never change."