Sponsor walks out on Knights

The price of last month's Bathurst fiasco just got higher for Newcastle, when talks with prospective major sponsor Gizmondo broke down yesterday.

The Knights will now begin the season without a major backer, which is a significant concern for the club as their bottom line is not supported by a cashed-up leagues club.

Gizmondo, a global technology company, asked the Knights to justify their potential relationship following the incident in Bathurst which saw 12 players fined and young forward Dane Tilse sacked from the club.