The rugby league great grew up in Taree. In his early years he lived across the road from Taree Recreation Centre - the home of junior rugby league in the town.

"I was four when I started playing," Buderus, now 38 recalls.

"I started with my (older) brother Brock's team."

Saturday mornings and junior footy couldn't roll around quickly enough for young Buderus. That's when he made up his mind about what he wanted to do when he grew up. He wanted to be a rugby league player.

Game days were even better when Buderus could play two matches in the one morning.

"I'd play my game then back up and play for Brock's team," he said.

Buderus eventually earned his stripes in Group Three junior representative teams and the occasional schoolboy side. 

His first breakthrough came when he was 16. Buderus decided to have a run with the Taree United under 18s, coached by former Canterbury Bankstown player Terry McCartney. United went through the season unbeaten. Buderus, playing five-eighth, was one of the youngest players in the team. He was also the undisputed star of the show, eventually winning the Group Three under 18 player of the year award. 

His defence rocked older and bigger players while he also had the uncanny ability to put a player into a gap. For a 16-year-old it was a big call. But if he was going to be a rugby league player, Buderus knew what he had to do.

"I had a talk to a few people - I asked Terry (McCartney) what he thought. And I have to thank mum and dad because they let me go."

So young Danny boy was off to Newcastle. The year was 1995. By now he was in the Catholic education system, attending St Francis Xavier College. He was selected to tour England with the Australian Schoolboys in 1996, although he had to recover from a broken leg to get on the plane. Then it was back to the Knights. He was still regarded as a halfback or five-eighth - an area the club was blessed with talent.

"There were the Kimmorley brothers and the Johns brothers, we were pretty well off."

Former English international Mal Reilly was head coach at Newcastle then, having steered the Knights to the 1997 ARL grand final victory in the year of the ugly Super League civil war. It was Reilly who decided to move Buderus from the halves to the number nine hooker's jumper.

"The role of the hooker was evolving," Buderus explained.

"Mal wanted someone who was quick around the ruck."

However, there was one proviso. Reilly wanted a hooker who was as good in defence as he was in attack. Buderus fitted the bill perfectly.

Buderus had a brief first run in top grade in 1998 against the now defunct South Queensland Crushers. However, he rates a game against Auckland (now New Zealand) as his first grade debut.

"That's when I started to get some minutes," he explained.

"I can remember running up against the Iros and all those huge Kiwis. It was unbelievable."

Buderus had cemented a first grade spot by 1999. From that season to 2002 Buderus believes the Knights had the best roster in the club's 28-year history. They were always near the top of the pile and won the NRL comp in 2001.

"We probably should have won another in there somewhere with the players we had."

Buderus was firmly part of Newcastle Rugby League Royalty - the Johns boys, Matt Gidley, Robbie O'Davis, Paul 'The Chief' Harragon, Ben Kennedy, Mark Hughes et al.

While there was brilliance in the backs, Buderus said a fearsome pack led by Harragon, Matt Parsons and Tony Butterfield laid the foundation.

"We had strong, mature forwards then and they gave you confidence," he said.

"I knew I was always going to be right with The Chief and Butts there to keep an eye on me.''

It was also then that Buderus learnt to play with pain. He saw out the 99 season despite needing a shoulder reconstruction.

"Every time I played I was in pain," he said. "But I just had to get through it."

The Knights went into the '01 decider against Parramatta as underdogs. The Eels had enjoyed a stellar year under coach Brian Smith and were the top attacking and best defensive side in the competition. Newcastle, despite their wealth of talent, had tended to be inconsistent.

"But we started to find form towards the end of the season," Buderus recalled.

There was a belief going into the decider, which was the first played on a Sunday night. The Knights, with Andrew Johns and Ben Kennedy outstanding, blew the Eels out of the park in the first half, opening up a 24-0 lead.

The Knights coasted somewhat in the second half, with the Eels reducing the margin to 30-24, but it was too little too late. The trophy was on the way to the Hunter. It was party time in Newcastle.

"I remember we didn't get back to the stadium until about 2.30 in the morning but there was something like 10,000 to 15,000 people there waiting for us," Buderus said.

Buderus has no hesitation in naming Johns and Kennedy as the best he's played with.

Johns is one of rugby league's immortals. Buderus still marvels at his mental toughness. They remain close mates.

"I'd pick him up to go to a game and sometimes you could just see Joey didn't want to be there - he probably had about a thousand things going through his mind," Buderus said.

"But when the match started he'd just switch on and score 20 points."

Johns has endured well-publicised problems off-field. Buderus reasons that all geniuses, whether they be academic or sporting, can become unhinged at times. Johns was no exception.

Buderus said he had the privilege of playing with Johns when he turned on one of his greatest performances - game two of the State of Origin series in 2005. Just to make it better, Buderus was the captain.

"Joey had recovered from a knee reconstruction and then a broken jaw and hadn't played that much football," Buderus said.

"He was called in when we got an injury."

For 80 minutes Johns toyed with the Queenslanders.

"He just ran the show and he kicked brilliantly. It was unbelievable to be out there with him."

For good measure Johns laid on a try for Buderus that sealed the win for NSW.

NSW went on to win the series. Unfortunately the Blues didn't win another one until 2014.

Ben Kennedy had the perfect attitude for a footballer, according to Buderus.

"He just loved to win and would do anything to win," he explained.

Kennedy's professionalism was very much part of Newcastle's success during his time at the Knights.

Buderus was the Dally M player of the year in 2004 while he captained both NSW and Australia. He accomplished everything he could in the NRL when he accepted an offer to go to English Super League club Leeds in 2009. He missed what was supposed to be his farewell game for Newcastle with injury but was given a rousing reception when he did a lap of honour at Hunter Stadium.

He played for the Rhinos from 2009-11 and rates it as one of the great experiences of his life. He admits it was something of a culture shock, going from the financially struggling Newcastle to the super-wealthy Leeds - one of the powerhouses of the English game.

"I really liked England," he said. "The football was good and we enjoyed the lifestyle."

He captained Leeds to a Super League grand final win over St Helens while he also led the Exiles - a team made up of Australian and New Zealanders playing in the Super League - to a win over the English test side.

He intended to play out his career in England when Nathan Tinkler bought the Knights and Wayne Bennett was appointed coach. Buderus was lured back to what he thought was going to be another golden era for the now-apparently cashed up club.

"The opportunity to finish in Newcastle and to be coached by Wayne Bennett was too good to pass up I thought," Buderus said.

What eventuated wasn't as he expected although Newcastle fell one game short of making the NRL grand final when beaten by eventual premiers, the Sydney Roosters in 2013. That was Buderus' last game and it wasn't a memorable one. He was knocked out when attempting a tackle on Roosters prop Jarad Werea-Hargraves and was stretchered from the field.

This was the last of his record 257 games with the club. He also played 24 tests and 21 State of Origin matches - 18 as captain.

Some players struggle in retirement, missing the camaraderie and discipline that football brings. Buderus said he was no exception.

"I was lucky - I went straight into the Knights system and stayed involved with the game," he said.

"But there were times when I did it really tough. You miss the game - there's no doubt about that."

He was appointed assistant coach with the Knights in 2014 and had a six game stint (two wins) as coach when Rick Stone was sacked. He's back in the assistant's role under Nathan Brown. He's not sure if he wants another shot at the coaching gig.

These days he also dabbles in the media, working as a NRL commentator with Fox Sports. Again, he's not sure if this is a path he'll follow in the years to come.

Buderus cringes when he sees the players once in the Newcastle junior system now turning out for other clubs. Most left because the Knights couldn't match the financial inducements offered elsewhere.

"Boyd Cordner, Latrell Mitchell, Greg Bird... the list is endless," he said.

He believes maintaining juniors will be the key to Newcastle's long term survival. However, the last couple of years have been a struggle, the Knights finishing with the wooden spoon in 2015 while they're battling again this campaign.

"We're always going to be a development club," he said.

"I know when I was playing - particularly during 1999 and 2002 - the 80 minutes we played was the best time of the week," he said.

"I want our players now to experience that same feeling. I want to be here when we're consistently winning games again."

The field at Taree Recreation Centre where Buderus played his first game now carries his name following a decision by Greater Taree City Council to honour him in January 2015. Buderus and his family attended the opening. He said he was 'humbled' by the occasion and that he was 'proud to be from Taree and the Manning Valley.'

"I guess if one kid sees this sign and wants to know a bit about it and it helps them achieve something then I'll be happy," he said.

"This area has been a great nursery for rugby league and some great players have come from here. More will come in the future.

"And if I can help out in any way, well, that's what I'm here for. I want to give something back to the game because it's been so good to me.'"