HE has the highest public profile of any Newcastle Knights board member and is the man who invariably commands the majority of votes come election time.

Paul Harragon might be the corporate face of the Knights, but club annals indicate his face is seen at fewer monthly boardroom meetings than any other director.

As the Knights prepare for their biennial boardroom ballot next week, The Herald can reveal Harragon's inconsistent attendance record since he was installed as a director in April, 2004.

The Knights' annual reports between 2004 and 2007 state that Harragon attended 33 of a possible 53 monthly board meetings and special board meetings.

Harragon said yesterday that directors should not be judged on how many board meetings they attend but what they contribute.

"If people want to ask the question, I'm happy to answer, and I'm a busy person and sometimes there are clashes [with other commitments]," Harragon said.

"At the end of the day, everyone on that board is not judged by their attendances. You can be there for every meeting but not contribute much.

"I'll be judged, hopefully, on what I contribute to the club, and it was a big year last year."

Harragon attended six of 13 board meetings last year.

In 2006, he attended 12 of 15.

In 2005, he sat in seven of 15 and the previous year he made it to eight of 10.

In those corresponding four years, the director who came closest to Harragon's non-attendance figures was Allan McKeown, who missed six meetings of a possible 58.

The most meetings any other director missed in a 12-month period was three.





A former Knights board member told The Herald yesterday that directors are expected to attend all monthly meetings, although extenuating circumstances are taken into account if they cannot make it.

Harragon's popularity and club-legend status should ensure he is returned at this year's ballot, for which voting closes on Monday.

Results will be announced at the club's annual general meeting next Wednesday night.

Newcastle's 1997 premiership-winning captain assured voting members yesterday he would make every effort during the next two years to be a boardroom regular.

"Of course I do," Harragon said.

"If people don't think my heart is in the club, and that I love it, then I can't do anything about that.

"But I think everyone also appreciates that it [being a director] is an honorary role, and if you've got to work, you've got to work, or if you've got one opportunity to go away with your family, you've got to do it."

Harragon also revealed his involvement in the board's football sub-committee, which he said held numerous meetings last year that were not recorded in the club's annual report.

"I was chairman of the football committee, which basically handles all the budgeting, and all the acceptance of new players coming in and coming out," he said. "I don't know how many meetings with that we had six or eight or 10 and I'm there for all those as well."

Harragon said the football committee did the "nuts and bolts" work for the full board.

"I chaired that committee and attended every meeting," he said.

"If someone wants to have a go, it's a bit of a furphy."



In other election news, former club captain Tony Butterfield has received detailed information from Knights management about their financial position and indicated yesterday he would be standing for the board.

Butterfield had been concerned about the possibility of directors being held liable should the Knights become insolvent at some point in the future.

"On the face of it, it all looks fine," Butterfield said. "In saying that, a number of issues need to be managed for the club to keep its head above water."

Another candidate, former foundation player Robbie Tew, has no such concerns and has indicated he is committed to standing for election.

Knights chief executive Steve Burraston met with business tycoon John Singleton yesterday in an attempt to resolve their differences.

Singleton, the former owner of the Bluetongue brewery, was critical of the Knights' business acumen and Burraston responded with forthright public comments of his own.

Meanwhile, Knights coach Brian Smith has named an unchanged line-up for Sunday's clash with the Warriors, although Adam MacDougall (knee) could return if he proves his fitness at training.