Knights fans gear up for the NRLW team to defend their title in grand final

Paul Carter is one such man. He has been adorned in thick acrylic colours - which he claims "stays on better than face paint" - at just about every home game for almost 15 years.

"I have asked [my family] that when I pass on, they paint my face but use oil-based paint," Mr Carter said.

The Knights stalwart has carried his team with him since their 1988 inception. He used to serve red and blue tomato sauce when he ran a Queensland local pool and offered free entry to anyone claiming allegiance to Newcastle. More recently, Mr Carter went through two surgeries for injuries sustained at a Knights game. A steel post hit his kidney during a crushing group "embrace" with Nathan Ross.

"But hell - we got the two points that day and that's all that mattered. If it meant I had to have two operations just to get two points each week, I'd do it," he said.

Mr Carter's fervour hasn't wavered for 35 years. Now, he is one of the first to the gate for women's home games and he hopes others will get behind the grand final clash.

"I was glad we got a decent-sized crowd for the girls last weekend," he said of a record 12,000 fans at McDonald Jones Stadium. "People often come just for the main game."

Footy is a family affair. Mr Carter usually watches with his two adult children.

"But my daughter, she's gone to Perth now," he said. "I always tell people it's a third world country because they don't have rugby league like they do here."

Rain or hail are no bother to him.

"I'm actually trying to get my wife to make me a neck to knee [like] they used to wear in the olden days to the beach," Mr Carter said.

"I want her to make me a red and blue pair. When it's beltin' down rainin', I'm going to take flippers, goggles and a snorkel so I can stand on the hill in it."

The predicated 36 degree heat for Sunday's game, though, is where Mr Carter draws the line.

He will be finding somewhere in Newcastle with "great atmosphere" - and no doubt air conditioning - to watch the grand final.

Younger fans are gearing up for the Knights to defend their title, too.

Evie Swift, 10, and her eight-year-old brother Kobi have befriended several players this season and can not wait to cheer them on.

The Cessnock Goannas junior is an official ball girl for the Knights NRLW team and has particularly taken to centre Shanice Parker.

"I got really close with her throughout [this season]," Evie said. "The girls came to Cessnock for a pre-season game," mum Debbie Swift said. "That's where she met Shanice."

Kobi said he and his family were now "part of the furniture" in the Knights' training ground. He and Evie often getting invited to watch the team practice.

It is a connection Evie hopes will serve her well.

"I want to play for the Newcastle Knights, NSW and Australia. And be captain," Evie said.

Mrs Swift said a photo of Evie's "great, great, great grandfather" Jerry Bailey, who played footy for Australia, hangs on their living room wall.

"I think that inspires them," she said of her four youngest children, who have all played NRL.

Evie often spends time in the sheds with the women pre-game but on Sunday, she will have to settle for viewing the grand final from afar. Her dad's birthday barbecue presents a critical clash in the young fan's schedule.

"I'm definitely not going to dad's birthday, I'm going to the football," Evie said.