A moment of Kalyn Ponga brilliance has helped Newcastle keep their NRL top-eight hopes alive, as the Knights outgunned South Sydney 36-16 at Stadium Australia.
Needing a win to stay in top-eight contention, Ponga provided the highlight of the match on Saturday night to keep his team in 11th spot.
Newcastle will need results to go in their favour over the next fortnight to reach the finals, as well as wins of their own against the Dolphins and Gold Coast.
They also need Ponga firing.
Last year’s Dally M Medallist and a man on a hot streak this time 12 months ago, Ponga has lacked the same impact in 2024.
But there were flashes of it on Saturday night.
After Newcastle led 20-12 at the break, Souths began to claw back into the match with the territorial advantage shortly after the resumption.
Then the Knights fullback provided the most influential moment of the match.
Ponga first took a kick on his own line and stepped a number of Souths defenders to sprint 40 metres and put Newcastle on the front foot.
Later in the set he got involved again, dummying and stepping his way through the Rabbitohs line and sending Jack Cogger in under the posts.
Newcastle then scored twice more, with Cogger completing his own double before putting Dane Gagai over for the centre’s second of the night late.
It wasn’t all good news for the Knights, with Tyson Frizell to miss next Sunday’s clash with the Dolphins after being concussed by a Cameron Murray high shot.
Murray was first placed on report for the hit, before being sin-binned by referee Chris Butler once Frizell left the field for a HIA.
Fellow second-rower Kai Pearce-Paul was also taken to hospital mid-match after suffering a significant cut to his shin, potentially leaving him in doubt for next week.
And 18th man Sebastian Su’a also ended his debut in the sin bin, after a high shot on Souths prop Davvy Moale.
For the Knights to make the finals, they will need to win their last two games and have eighth-placed St George Illawarra drop two of their last three against Cronulla, Parramatta and Canberra.
They will also need Brisbane to lose to either the Dolphins or a Melbourne side likely to rest players in the final round.
For Souths, their miserable season can’t end soon enough after slumping to their 15th loss of 2024, and with the Latrell Mitchell saga still hanging over their heads.
Things looked worrying early when the Knights stripped them for numbers and Fletcher Sharpe went over untouched for the first try.
Souths hit back through Taane Milne, before Jack Wighton turned back the clock and ran through Frizell and Adam Elliott from close to the line to make it 12-6.
But the Rabbitohs collapsed just before halftime, allowing Dylan Lucas in for one try, putting the kick-off out on the full, and letting Gagai cross from the next set.
AAP
