The pair will entertain men and women during the kick-off club function, starting at 12 noon.

For Voss, the youngest of three boys born in inner Sydney, a career as a sports reporter was shaped as an 8 year old following the tragic death of his father.

“Experts would tell you that when you lose a parent at that age you find other things in life to keep you going … for me it was rugby league,” Voss said.

“I grew up not far from Leichhardt Oval and while I followed the Bunnies as a youngster I really just loved watching rugby league and I would travel to Henson, Redfern, Brookevale, wherever there was a game.

“I would spend half my pay from doing a paper run to buy the Rugby League Week.”

Now referred to as a media veteran, Voss began his career in radio, covering a range of sports including swimming, cricket, athletics, surf lifesaving, rugby union, tennis and boxing.

He joined the Nine Network in 1994 working with the doyen of league callers Ray Warren, and covered various other sporting events, including the Sydney Olympic Games, Melbourne Commonwealth Games and the Vancouver Winter Olympics. 

Voss is an avid admirer of the likes of ‘Rabbits’ and expert commentators Gus Gould and Peter Sterling, but when asked to nominate his all-time favourite Voss opted for childhood hero Rex Mossop, slightly ahead of Frank Hyde.

“If I go back and listen to Mossop now I would probably hear his commentary differently, but at the time he was clearly an influence,” he said.

Pressed to name the best player he had seen pull on a jersey, Voss didn’t hesitate

“Ian Roberts at his best was the best player I have seen and it was only for a period of 3-4 years, but if you talk about over an entire career than I can’t go past Jonathan Thurston,” he said.

Voss, whose show The Fan was a huge hit, is an unabashed supporter of the Men of League Foundation, which was established to care for men, women and children in the league community who are injured, ill or have fallen on hard times.

He will be joined on stage by arguably one of the Newcastle Knights greatest, Danny Buderus, whose stellar league career includes 339 club games, 21 State Of Origins [15 as captain], 24 Kangaroos and five for Country.

The rugged hooker won a grand final with the Knights in 2001, captained Leeds in 2011 to win an English Super League grand final, and returned to the Knights in 2012 where he became the interim coach in late 2015.

He won two Dally M Medals, and was also Dally M Hooker of the year and Dally M rep player of the year in 2002 and is now one of the game’s top analysts.