“There’s no doubt I need to get some energy levels back, but I know that that will come because I’ve still got a deep passion for the game,” he said.
“I don’t necessarily want to be the lead singer for a long time. I’ll do the back-up vocals for a while.
“Yeah, look, something will come along. I haven’t lost my work ethic, and I haven’t lost my passion, and I haven’t lost my care for the playing group, which is why I’ve ultimately come to this decision.”
O’Brien said he had been considering his future over the past few weeks and reached the conclusion that “it’s the right time to give someone else a go”.
He said he approached Newcastle’s management and, after listening to his reasoning, they agreed it was an opportune juncture to part ways amicably.
O’Brien believes “there’s a lot to like about the roster” that Newcastle have in place for next season, headed by the high-profile signing of Dylan Brown. But he was mindful that speculation about his own position was likely to continue throughout the pre-season and into 2026.
“I think the club’s in a great position, on and off the field,” he said. “With the roster that’s coming in, that’s a really competitive, strong team for next year.
“But again, I keep coming back to when you’re asking yourself: ‘Am I a distraction to them?’
“I probably feel that I am … the greatest gift I can give them is having a real positive pre-season and off to a positive start.
“The new coach or whoever comes in deserves a bit of time to gel with this group, and I think that’s important for them.”
Adam O’Brien and Craig Bellamy during their time together at the Storm.Credit: Getty
O’Brien said he would always be grateful to the Knights for signing him in late 2019 to replace Nathan Brown as their head tactician.
“Coaching the club’s been the greatest honour of my life, really, and I thank [CEO] Philip [Gardner] and the board for taking a chance on me,” he said.
“I was relatively unknown, although I’d done a really, really strong, thorough apprenticeship under Craig at Melbourne and then the year with the Roosters.
“For them to take a chance on me was brave. You’ve got to remember it’s one of 17 jobs in the whole world, and I’ve had the luxury of doing it at such a proud town, proud region, proud club. It’s been my greatest honour.”
O’Brien said he would leave the Knights with many fond memories but in particular “the joy that it brings [the community] on Monday mornings when you’ve won a game”.
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Highlights of his Newcastle tenure include appearances in the play-offs in 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024, and a remarkable 10-game winning streak in 2023 that culminated in the club’s first home final in 17 years.
This season they have struggled in the absence of strike weapons Kalyn Ponga, Fletcher Sharpe and Dylan Lucas, and after seven consecutive defeats sit second-last on the ladder, with cellar dwellers Gold Coast breathing down their necks.
Newcastle officials are considering a host of candidates to replace O’Brien, one of whom is his assistant coach, Blake Green. Justin Holbrook is another candidate for the position.
O’Brien was reluctant to “go singling out individuals” but he was happy to endorse Green’s claims.
“He’s been unbelievable for me … but at the end of the day, it’s a club decision, and I’ll be staying out of that,” he said.
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