2026 Preview: Knights ready to mount another charge

Riccarton Knights’ watershed run to the 2025 CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership grand final has heightened expectations around the team this year – and incoming head coach Sean Spooner is under no illusions about how difficult it will be to replicate those feats…or go one better.

On the back of the Knights’ run to their first Pat Smith Trophy Challenge decider in 21 years, the club has endured a disrupted build-up to their upcoming campaign.

“We’ve had a bit of a mixed preparation, to be honest,” Spooner explains.

“We’ve had a lot of pre-season injuries, which is very uncommon. But a few other guys have stepped into that space now, so we’re looking hopefully to get everyone back on deck very shortly.”

“It’s been a challenge, that’s for sure.”

Spooner takes the reins for local coaching legend Brent ‘Jiggsy’ Ringdahl, who lavished praise on assistants Spooner and Nepia Reweti for the substantial role they played in the Knights’ drought-breaking grand final charge.

Underlining his ability as a coach garnered in a short period, Spooner – a veteran of more than 300 games as a player with Papanui, Hornby and Riccarton – was also appointed as the Trillo Metals Men’s Canterbury Bulls coach for 2026.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge [of taking on the head coach role], I’m always keen to bounce off ideas from the other coaches as well, just to keep us honest,” Spooner says.

“We’re really aiming for that same goal [of a grand final] again this year.

“At the same time, we know what we want to do as a club and as a team. Going forward, we know our own processes and we’re working through them right now. So when it comes to Round 1, we should be ready to go.”

Spooner has Reweti alongside him as an assistant in 2026, as well as former Kiwi Ferns rep and Warriors NRLW player Charntay Poko, whose leadership proved invaluable during the Trillo Metals Women’s Canterbury Bulls’ impressive 2025 efforts.

“We’re very fortunate to have Charntay on board.

“She obviously comes with a lot of experience and she’s an international as well. So to have that with us on-board with Riccarton this year was something I couldn’t really turn down.

The Knights get their CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership foray underway at their Crosbie Park fortress against Hornby Panthers.

The Panthers missed the playoffs as defending champs last year, but Spooner is extremely wary of his former club and the dangers they present.

“You can never underestimate Hornby. They’re a good side and they’ll be well coached too by Archie Jacobs with a good core of players,” he warns.

“So we definitely won’t be taking them lightly – they’re a team that can push you all the way.”