1) ALEX MCKINNON

Arguably the biggest story in rugby league this year happened close to home.

Newcastle Knights junior and Aberdeen Tigers junior Alex McKinnon suffered a spinal injury while playing in the NRL that left him wheelchair bound.

It was feared that McKinnon may have been a quadriplegic but the 22-year-old has continued to recover well and hopes to walk again one day.

2) NSW BLUES

Many of the youngest rugby league players weren’t even alive the last time NSW won a State of Origin series.

This included West Maitland junior Anderson Thompson.

But in 2014 the Blues, including local product Greg Bird, broke an eight-year series drought in beating Queensland two matches to one.

3) BROCK LAMB

Brock Lamb embarked on the journey of a lifetime this year as the five-eighth on the Australian Schoolboys tour of Europe.

The 17-year-old from Thornton was part of the merit squad two years ago but this time around Lamb was able to don the green and gold uniform of his country. 

4) KNIGHTS KNOCKOUT

All Saints College, St Joseph’s Campus, Lochinvar, created their own piece of rugby league history this year.

For the second consecutive season St Joseph’s made all four Knights Knockout finals.

But this time around they made it a clean sweep of titles.

From under 13s to under 16s it was the Lochinvar high school standing atop the podium at Hunter Stadium.

Officials believe they may be one of, if not, the first school to achieve the feat in the competition’s 30-plus year history.

5) NEWCASTLE RUGBY LEAGUE

There were no major titles for the Coalfields this season across any of the Newcastle Rugby League senior grades in 2014.

The closest was a minor premiership collected by the Maitland Pickers under 18s for a second straight year but again there was no success in the decider.

On the player front former NRL first grader Terence Seu Seu came to Maitland from Cessnock and after only 12 months in black and white has decided to reunite with junior club Kurri Kurri in 2015.