Newcastle surged past Cronulla into fifth spot on the back of a 32-6 powered by a perfect display from Kalyn Ponga but a shoulder injury to their star fullback has Knights fans on tenterhooks.
Ponga demolished the Sharks in a 65-minute display of attacking brilliance and the only way the visitors were going to stop him at McDonald Jones Stadium was to take him out.
Cronulla centre Jesse Ramien did just that when he crunched Ponga after he passed wide to set up a crucial try with a heavy hit which was cleared by the bunker but could still attract the attention of the match review committee.
He is set to have scans on Monday with the Knights suspecting he has damaged his AC joint – he is all but certain to sit out their final-round trip to Kogarah on Sunday to face the Dragons to be right for Newcastle’s playoff campaign.
“I won’t be stupid with him, that’s for sure,” coach Adam O’Brien said before adding he didn’t want to “make a heap of changes” to rest other players even though a finals berth is now locked in. “Rhythm to the team is important. Anyone that’s got bumps I won’t take a risk with.”
O’Brien added that Lachie Miller was likely to play at fullback for Ponga against the Dragons as he has not left the club yet to take up an offer with Leeds in the Super League despite getting a release from his contract for the next two seasons.
He said Jackson Hastings was improving by the day with his ankle injury but the first-choice halfback is unlikely to line up against St George Illawarra.
Newcastle have stormed up to fifth on the back of eight wins in succession and have clinched a playoff berth and a home qualifying final with Sunday’s win while the Sharks are all but certain to make the finals despite dropping to sixth due to their superior points differential to Canberra, Souths, North Queensland and the Roosters.
The sell-out crowd rose to their feet in the fifth minute to cheer Dominic Young touching down in the corner but the bunker put a halt to the celebrations when replays showed his foot was on the sideline due to a despairing Braydon Trindall cover tackle.
Cronulla drew first blood when they swung the ball to the right and fullback Connor Tracey outsprinted Bradman Best to score.
Newcastle came up with the mirror image at the other end with their No.1 in Ponga having too much speed as he swept around the back for Matt Moylan, who started in the halves with Nicho Hynes out due to a thigh strain.
Sharks forward Briton Nikora made a break and then backed up on the next play to cross for what looked like a try in the 29th minute but came up with the unusual occurrence of his own forearm getting in the way as he tried to plant the ball down and eventually lost control as Best wrestled him over the line.
Ponga sliced his way through the Cronulla defence in a sizzling kick return before a fifth defender finally brought him down to give Newcastle the momentum early in the second half.
“If we have an award for the moment that changed the game for us I think that’d be it,” O’Brien said.
His counterpart, Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon, summed it up by saying “when two teams are going pretty hard at each other, moments like that can shift the game in their favour. It brought the crowd into it, brought him into it, we paid the price there.”
Adam Clune capitalised when he launched a short-side raid on the scattered defensive line and Best burst into space to make it 12-6.
Ponga drew in defenders and spiralled the ball wide for Tyson Gamble to float a pass for Young to make it 18-6 after a sideline conversion from their red-hot skipper.
After he was flattened by Ramien in the lead-up to Best’s second try, Ponga stayed on the field but was hauled off a couple of minutes later when Greg Marzhew barged over to put the result beyond doubt.
Ponga finished with an even 200 running metres while making a couple of line breaks, creating another and forcing a line drop-out.
A maiden try to Dylan Lucas kick-started early Newcastle celebrations three minutes from full-time and even though he cramped up after getting past Tracey to score, the searing pain couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.
“I felt like they punched in the face early, especially through our middle third,” O’Brien said. “We didn’t panic. I thought our backs in particular in the second half were excellent carrying the ball and our middles returned the favour by tackling well.”
O’Brien said his team looked like The Benny Hill Show due to their comedy of errors earlier in the season “but we don’t see that anymore”.
It’s not hard to see why Tyson Frizell’s teammates adore playing alongside him.
And why opposition players do not relish seeing him on the field.
Even though he is well and truly in the veteran class as he nears his 32nd birthday, Frizell keeps on keeping on. And when he hits defenders, they feel the cumulative effect of his granite-like physique and superb technique.
Young Sharks forward Jesse Colquhoun learned the hard way at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday when Frizell lined him up and belted the rookie with a fearsome display of controlled aggression.
The next time he plays Newcastle, he will need to bring a sidestep or a plan to steer well clear of Frizell.
O’Brien kept Frizell on the field for 72 minutes of their eighth straight win before giving the NSW and Australian representative an early shower.
Every team in the finals needs a player who is going to ruffle up feathers in their opposition – Frizell is Newcastle’s enforcer and in the tradition of Paul Harragon and Ben Kennedy, he can help the Knights cause an upset or two now that they’ve qualified for the playoffs.
Fitzgibbon said he felt like his team was defending their try line the whole game.
“We shot ourselves in the foot, I thought we were nervous in the first half. And then once you start racking up a lot of goal-line D and mounting up the errors and the penalties, their energy shifted and the tidalwave of possession and field position ended up getting us at the end of the game,” he said.
“I didn’t think we asserted any pressure on them. We kept releasing it. We got outplayed.”
Fitzgibbon said the absence of Hynes hurt the team but he was confident he would suit up for the rumble with the Raiders after straining his thigh at training during the week.
Bernie
Roar Rookie
cruel, so cruel .... but also somewhat true.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
He has been playing 6 in reggie's so normally I'd say I hope that helps his defence, but they are only playing the dragons.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Very true about their composure. I'm stoked we are somehow in the position to rest blokes like KP and JH. Normally teams do that to us. Playing the semi at home will be a big advantage...for a week. Im sure BHunt isn't counting down the seconds till he can finally bail on Saints and play for a much better club with a stronger board and recent success. Like the tigers.
RedcliffeFan
Roar Rookie
Cronulla offered a false dawn when it seemed they 'may' have turned a corner with their woeful defence in the past three weeks. I wrote it seemed to be on the mend but I was still "unconvinced". I was right to be sceptical. They fell apart in the second half, no line speed, a non-existent defensive 'line' - in reality more staggered than a drunk in a pub that Ponga feasted on, some clueless passes and their usual mountain of errors. Special mention to Wade Graham who, in a fine skipper's performance, began the rot with his spectacular imititation of a pass from dummy half - Newcastle scored soon after. What a shambles. So very on brand. This bunch of listless losers now face the Raiders who can beat them in the sleep. Good luck with that. Fitzgibbon might be better off planning the end of season trip. Of course when they are dumped very quickly out of the comp - either pre-finals or week one - he'll sprout the usual crap, the same crap he sprouted after they were humiliated in the finals last year. Then they'll do their pre-season and talk themselves up and how they've learnt their lesson etc etc etc crap, crap, crap etc and then the whole sad, inevitable comedy of a season will start again. For those who abhor change Cronulla is the team to follow - this mob have been turning in this garbage since their last decent season in 2018.
Albo
Roar Rookie
Yep ! He had some handling & defensive errors in his game , but was a pretty good attacking player, earlier in the year. He will have improved in NSW Cup over the year.
Cam
Roar Rookie
I really enjoyed watching him play and was a bit surprised he signed with the SL. He runs for 182m average per game and will go well for the Knights next week.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Absolutely. Ponga is the scariest guy in the entire league with the ball but that defensive resolve, yesterday only 1 try conceded, week before just 2 against the Rabbits that really sets them up and keeps opponents out of their red zone and then out of their in goal. Line speed was so fast, Crossland, Eliot and Frizell in faces all day and no silly yardage penalties or depossessions. Haven’t seen Newcastle working together as Band of Brothers, for a long, long time.
Bernie
Roar Rookie
i dont know Chop, i thought they looked steady & controlled even when Sharkies were giving it to them. you've got players to come back too, but the big thing will be how the Goodknights handle that finals feeling, not a lotta experience there. Dragons special for last round, gunna burst your bubble for what will (most likely) be B.Hunt's last game.
Bernie
Roar Rookie
read my mind Rellum, a cautionary tale for sure. everyone got excited when he had those few scintillating games for Sharkies, but his back-peddling goal line defensive techniques were interesting to say the least.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
The Knights supporters who got into the ground must be still smiling 24 hours later. That was a great win. Ponga was the star attraction for sure, but the rest of the Knights really played good, team footy. They stuck to their plans in both attack & defence and waited for cracks to appear. The Sharks were far from embarrassed and hopefully Hynes back soon will see them in good shape for the finals.
Albo
Roar Rookie
Trouble is, that confidence might quickly dissipate if Ponga is seriously injured. Those AC joint injuries can take weeks to heal. Scans will be vital today. It would be a shame for the Knights to have him missing for the finals after being in such terrific form.
Bonza
Roar Rookie
Dykes would be ideal, you're spot on. Yeah Iro is an outside back. Possibly Tracey to 6 if Kennedy back and even Talakai to the bench for Iro. But Nicho back hopefully next week. Ricky will have Raiders up and about
Rellum
Roar Guru
Lachlan Millar was the next big thing in the press at the start of the season, now he is off to the SL after one season. That did not end well for him but he was no where near what the press made him out to be
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
It was a sensational first half, Bonza. A cracking match. I sure hope the knights avoid the Sharks from here cause when Nicho comes back, they are scary. Sharks should slap the Raiders by 40 this weekend.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Sick win, Nunnsy. The sharks seriously worry me and for the first half they gave the knights a real whack. If one of the Sharkies grounds the ball on the, well, ground and not his own face and they are in front and firing. Jackson and Kayln can have the weekend off. Great to see Lachie get the call up to belt the dragons. Might be his last game in the jersey and he was quality despite a short stint (see: Dynevor, Leo; 1997)
Dumbo
Roar Rookie
I know what you mean, but who would you play instead of MM when Nico is out and Braydon Trindall is playing 7 ? Sharks are short on halves. Niwai Puru is a 7, but he has not played first grade, and now is not the time to blood him. Kayal Iro is a centre, and there is even less reason to play him at 6. Connor Tracey is the obvious replacement, but he is playing 1 because Will Kennedy is injured, Kade Dykes has been out for the entire season, and third string full-back Lachie Miller was sold to Newcastle the week before Dykes' injury. Trying Jessie Ramien at 6 would disrupt the back-five, Sifa Talakai is not agile enough to play 6, so MM at 6 when Nico is out is the only real option, I believe.
Phil
Roar Rookie
Newcastle showed that they have the grit to slug it out against a determined defence. 6 all at half time was a good a good indicator of what a contest it was with neither side getting the ascendancy. Part two and the knights stepped up winning the half 26 blot. I like the look of Newcastle now they have the confidence to give the big boys a shake.
Bonza
Roar Rookie
Wonder when / if the likes of Kayal Iro will get a run to add some spark. Can't see any reason to include Moylan from here on
Bonza
Roar Rookie
Hats off to the Knights, they just outplayed us. Dangerous on both sides and aggressive pack. Not even Nicho could've saved that.
Nunnsy
Roar Rookie
The sharks defence really troubled us in the first half we could not get in to our attacking rythm. As a newcastle supporter it was good to see we could go to that next level in the second half definately had to work a lot harder than previous weeks.