Christian Welch joked he will join Newcastle's celebrations if they win the title after being reminded of his comments made in June by a Knights fan at the Telstra Premiership finals launch on Monday.
Newcastle's nine-game winning streak kicked off immediately after Welch questioned how they lost to an understrength Panthers side in Round 17 prior to a Storm post-match press conference alongside coach Craig Bellamy.
Welch joined Knights enforcer Tyson Frizell and six other NRL captains and representatives at Telstra headquarters in Sydney on Monday morning for a fan question segment when both were asked about the cheeky sledge.
“Tyson, I just wanted to see if the other captain’s [Welch] comments may have motivated the team to smash the Storm three weeks later and go on a nine-game winning streak,” the fan asked.
A bemused Frizell said he “didn’t know how to answer that” before Welch chimed in.
“If you guys win the premiership, I might have to get invited to the celebration drinks,” he quipped.
“You’ve won nine in a row since that press conference… you beauty.”
Frizell agreed that Welch would be invited in a light-hearted moment on stage which also included Warriors fans geeing up Nathan Cleary, who spent time in Auckland as a child, to shout “Up the Wahs” ahead of Saturday's final.
Cleary laughed before politely declining.
“I think it’s great with the fans,” Welch said after the event.
“I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful to the Knights that night. They have got a fantastic side and Penrith had seven out of their starting 13 out so I was just generally surprised they’d lost.
“I’m so happy for them and how they’re going. We got towelled up by them in Newcastle and it's good to see how much that team means to the community and area.
“I’m pumped they got a home final but I just hope we don’t cross paths and they beat us.”
Frizell said the comments were not a motivating factor in the Knights turning their season around but admitted it had not gone unnoticed by the playing group.
“It is what it is… it was hard to answer that question on stage,” Frizell said.
“We’re not hiding under a rock. We do see things like that but to say that is the reason to get where we are is a bit of a back-handed compliment.
“We’ve been working hard right from the start and playing good footy even at the start of the season despite not getting the results.
“We’ve been able to hold on to that style of footy for the last couple of months consistently and that’s got us to where we are.”
The Knights can win their first finals game since 2013 after locking in a home final against the Raiders on Sunday.
Newcastle last hosted a finals match against the Sea Eagles in 2006.
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