Newcastle have arrange a winner-takes-all final-round conflict with the Dolphins after Kalyn Ponga impressed the Knights to a 36-14 win over Gold Coast in his finest recreation of the season.
With the Knights needing a win to remain within the finals hunt, Ponga scored Newcastle’s first two tries to assist them go from 4-0 right down to 30-4 up at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday.
The end result makes for a promoter’s dream for the NRL, with the final match of the common season between the Knights and Dolphins to determine eighth spot.
However Newcastle’s win over a Titans aspect with nothing to play for additionally spelled dangerous information for a lot of different groups, with Brisbane’s finals hopes now formally over.
St George Illawarra and Canberra’s seasons are additionally successfully completed, with solely a draw between the Dolphins and Knights capable of open the door for them.
Newcastle will get back-rowers Kai Pearce Paul and Tyson Frizell again for the Dolphins conflict subsequent Sunday at McDonald Jones Stadium.
And they’re going to additionally enter the sport figuring out Ponga is taking part in the perfect soccer he has all 12 months.
After an injury-interrupted season that had netted him just one strive earlier than Sunday, Ponga confirmed glimpses of his finest in opposition to South Sydney final week.
And the fullback set the tone early once more for the Knights on Sunday, with a line-break within the sixth minute.
Newcastle ought to have scored off the again of it, however when Greg Marzhew didn’t get the ball down and Jojo Fifita went 60 metres to attain within the subsequent set, the Titans led 4-0.
Then it was as much as Ponga to carry his aspect again into the competition.
He put his stamp on the sport when he bought the ball 10 metres out and ran via a gaping gap between David Fifita and Jayden Campbell to attain.
The fullback additionally had his fingerprints all around the Knights’ subsequent earlier than the break, after incomes a penalty out of his personal finish through a ruck infringement.
On the following set the Newcastle No.1 took the ball to the road and went brief to Dylan Lucas, who offloaded for Bradman Finest earlier than Ponga loomed on the within to attain.
And with the sport nonetheless within the steadiness, it was final 12 months’s Dally M Medallist who once more bought Newcastle going after the break.
The fullback skipped right into a gap on the left edge and despatched a ball away whereas falling to the bottom, earlier than Dane Gagai put Fletcher Sharpe over on the fitting subsequent play.
“A very good efficiency is not primarily based on what number of tries you rating, however the boys positively let me know in the course of the week that I used to be on a dry spell,” Ponga stated.
“I simply wished to be within the recreation early, and simply be in it. I felt like I did that in the present day, and off the again of that you just get fortunate once in a while.”
Sharpe completed with a hat-trick in an eight-minute interval, whereas Finest regarded harmful in his first recreation again from a hamstring harm as he topped 200 metres.
“It is a good feeling figuring out we’re in command of our future,” Ponga stated.
“I’m calling for the Hunter to get round us and provides us that assist subsequent week. It is do-or-die for us subsequent week.”
AAP
