![The Dragons celebrate last week's win against Manly. Picture by Getty Images The Dragons celebrate last week's win against Manly. Picture by Getty Images](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/AFKkRPHwQbXhqFfb42nFTx/bd80134d-8056-4b28-96d1-73f53d34a001.jpg/r0_0_2017_1523_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
CALL it the reverse curse.
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Of all the Newcastle Knights' hoodoos and hexes, none is more bizarre than their record at home against St George Illawarra.
The Knights have now lost 15 of their past 17 games in New Zealand, 10 of their past 12 in Melbourne and 13 of their past 15 in Townsville.
All of which are tough road trips, hostile environments, for any team. So if those statistics make for bleak reading, they are also to a degree understandable.
Newcastle's record at home to the "Red V", however, makes no sense whatsoever.
Since St George and Illawarra formed a joint venture in 1999, they have travelled to Turton Road's various incarnations 23 times, and headed home with two competition points on 18 of those occasions.
That gives the Dragons a 78 per cent winning strike rate in Newcastle over the past 25 years, which includes a 22-13 victory the last time they visited, in 2021.
More than any other opponents, the Dragons have, for whatever reason, dominated the Knights in their own backyard, regularly leaving big crowds kicking stones as they trudged home.
In the countdown to Friday's clash at McDonald Jones Stadium, here is a stroll down memory lane, and a reminder of why the Knights should be wary.
Qualifying final, 2002: The second-placed Knights were a genuine chance of making it back-to-back premierships until Dragons prop Luke Bailey collected champion Andrew Johns in the back with his knee, fracturing a vertebrae. Shell-shocked Newcastle were beaten by the Dragons and then bowed out a week later against the Roosters.
Round 24, 2004: Young Newcastle forward Clint Newton was sensationally sent off for a shoulder charge gone wrong. The 12-man Knights dug deep but the Dragons celebrate a 24-22 victory.
![A knee in the back ended Andrew Johns' season in 2002. Picture by Darren Pateman A knee in the back ended Andrew Johns' season in 2002. Picture by Darren Pateman](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/AFKkRPHwQbXhqFfb42nFTx/99c1f660-2007-467c-a25c-0390fe6baf1e.jpg/r0_0_434_317_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Round 17, 2008: Rarely has a player left in such acrimonious circumstances as Kirk Reynoldon in 2007, after a contract stand-off that dominated headlines for weeks.
Reynoldson needed to play in 15 games to trigger an extension for 2008, but coach Brian Smith refused to pick him after he had made 14 appearances.
The bearded back-rower took legal action against the Knights and secured an undisclosed settlement.
He also grabbed a lifeline from the Dragons, who arrived in Newcastle in early July and delivered a 24-16 boilover. Reynoldson proceeded to play in the finals with the Dragons. The Knights missed out on the top eight by two points.
Round one, 2012: A massive crowd of 29,919 turned out to cheer on a new-look team, assembled by master coach Wayne Bennett and funded by tycoon Nathan Tinkler.
Before a ball was kicked, Newcastle were installed as premiership favourites, but from the outset, the omens weren't good after they lost 15-14 to the Dragons - Bennett's former club - in golden point. Bennett admitted afterwards his players had suffered stage fright and were "flat as tacks".
They eventually limped home in an anti-climactic 12th position.
Round five, 2015: After the departure of Bennett at the end of 2014, Newcastle were expected to struggle under reinstated head coach Rick Stone.
But after the first four rounds, they were the only undefeated team and on top of the competition points table. A shock 13-0 loss to the Dragons in round five brought the dream run to a sudden halt.
In no time, Newcastle were spiralling in a slump that delivered only two wins in 14 games and eventually cost Stone his job.
Round four, 2019: Enigmatic Corey Norman dropped a field goal to sink the Knights 13-12 in golden point.
Round four, 2021: Tariq Sims reminded Knights fans of what may have been with two tries against his former club in a 22-13 victory.