Newcastle Knights fuming after being left out of NRL season launch advertising campaign The NRL could not find any space for iconic Newcastle Knights coach Wayne Bennett in their season launch campaign. NEWCASTLE held the balance of power during the ARL-Super League war in the mid-1990s - but it seems Wayne Bennett's Knights are no longer part of the "in crowd" in rugby league. As the game's biggest names came together last night to celebrate the 2013 season launch at a gala function at Darling Harbour, Newcastle fans and officials were fuming that they were the only club completely snubbed in the advertising campaign that went to air across the country yesterday. Knights chief executive Matt Gidley fired off an email to the game's new boss Dave Smith expressing his disappointment. And as one club insider said last night: "You would think with Wayne Bennett, Danny Buderus and Akuila Uate among others we have up here, we could have at least made the cut. This is all about building memberships and we were the only club that didn't feature in that ad at all. There was a glimpse of the Gold Coast, and Cronulla I think were shown defending at one point. But there was no Newcastle at all. You can say we are privately disappointed, yes. The NRL later explained that while the Knights were not featured in the national marketing campaign, a version would go to air in their market that heavily featured Newcastle players. "What (Gidley) wasn't aware of is that there are a whole lot of executions of the ad and there are a whole lot of regional executions in which Newcastle feature incredibly heavily," an NRL spokesman said. So within the Newcastle regional market, it actually weights back the other way. But by that stage fired up Newcastle fans were already venting their anger on social media. One interstate supporter wrote: "Being a Knights fan living in Brisbane I won't get to see my team represented in the ad." And this from another: "Watching the new NRL ad and I notice storm & bulldogs get shown at least 3 times each, yet knights not seen at all?" Starring Aussie pop sensation Jessica Mauboy, the ad itself received a mixed reaction among fans. It is designed with a strong focus on attracting women, children and families to the game. But many fans on talkback radio yesterday were saying that as a rugby league ad it just didn't sit right. Mauboy is the first female used to head an NRL marketing initiative since Tina Turner back when Newcastle were in vogue in the 1990s. The ad features highlights from all the biggest names - excluding Newcastle - but including suspended Bulldogs star Ben Barba. NRL commercial manager Paul Kind said. There's an exciting new edge to this year's campaign.