All you need to know about the Newcastle Knights, the side looking the end the Warriors’ season on Saturday night.
1) Hottest team in the NRL
Newcastle have made one of the great playoff charges – they were so bad early in the season that coach Adam O’Brienwas reportedly on the verge of being sacked.
By late June, they had won five from 15, and O’Brien’s overall win rate since 2020 was a middling 40 per cent.
But O’Brien has got the Knights into the finals in three of his four seasons in charge and they are on a 10-game winning streak, an incredible run by NRL standards.
Fullback Kalyn Ponga is the key to his team’s attack.
While this could be said of just about every fullback in the NRL, Ponga is something special.
The Queensland State of Origin star has Kiwi ancestry and has played for New Zealand Māori. His parents are from New Zealand and the family lived in Palmerston North for five years during Ponga’s childhood. He was a gifted sports kid which included being an outstanding young golfer.
The 25-year-old contemplated retirement because of concussion issues. He even sought specialist help in Canada and pulled himself out of this year’s State of Origin, saying he wanted to focus on the Knights after so many interruptions. But he suffered another head ding against Canberra last week, and also went into that game with a problematic shoulder.
Kalyn Ponga is one of the Newcastle Knights' most dangerous players. Photo / Photosport
3) Air Young
The Knights’ try-scoring sensation is giant English wing Dominic Young, who is Roosters-bound. When it comes to acrobatic try-scoring dives, Young is a good match for the Warriors flying Dallin Watene-Zelezniak. The two-metre tall Young is the NRL’s top try-scorer this year with 25. However, Young is also one of the most error-prone players in the NRL.
4) Auckland-born tackle buster
The Knights’ other wing, Auckland-born Greg Marzhew, has a different build and brings a very different type of impact.
The 1.77 metres tall Marzhew is streets ahead of the pack when it comes to tackle busts. He has 173 for the season, way ahead of next-best Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards and Knights teammate Dane Gagai. Marzhew is also near the top of the run metres list and has an impressive 21 tries.
Marzhew, who is of Samoan heritage and was known as Greg Lelesiuao in Auckland, was a Mangere East junior and has played for the Junior Kiwis.
The youngster left his family to live with an uncle in Melbourne 12 years ago. Before setting his sights on the NRL, he competed as a hip-hop dancer.
Marzhew was signed by the Knights from the Titans prior to this season.
There have been questions around his defensive work in the past but he has a low error rate and is having a breakthrough time with the Knights thanks to his power-packed game.
Which brings us to the Newcastle centres – Gagai and Bradman Best. This is one area where the Knights have a clear advantage over the Warriors.
Gagai is a big game specialist, with a wealth of test and State of Origin experience and a reputation for making big plays when they are needed. The giant Best is a player on the rise, making an impressive State of Origin debut for New South Wales this year.
They feature heavily when it comes to creating tries for the Knights.
6) Twin Origin stars
The Newcastle pack includes identical twins Daniel and Jacob Saifiti, who have both played for Fiji and also have Samoan heritage.
Daniel was out of the blocks more quick;y, the first of the twins to win New South Wales selection. But Jacob is the current State of Origin representative. He starts for the Knights with Daniel coming off the bench.
While on that subject, Knights prop Leo Thompson is a New Zealander whose twin brother Tyrone is a hooker for the Chiefs and Hawke’s Bay rugby teams. The brothers went to Napier Boys’ High.
7) Twins galore
The Knights pack also includes veteran test and State of Origin second-rower Tyson Frizell, the brother of All Blacks loose forward Shannon Frizell.
The brothers were brought up separately but are apparently pretty close. Shannon had to stay in Tonga because he was not allowed to join the family that adopted him when they lived in Australia.
Former Dragon Tyson Frizell has been among the Knights’ best this year.
8) Former Warrior brings the heat
And another forward is Jack Hetherington, a former Warriors loan player and one of the most fiery players in the NRL. Coach O’Brien reportedly ordered Hetherington to calm down after he was sin-binned in quick succession this year.
9) Spine proving doubters wrong
With Jackson Hastings in doubt because of injury, the Knights’ plans will probably centre around five-eighth Tyson Gamble, an NRL battler coming good.
A former Bronco – the victim of an alleged Jack Wighton bite last week - has a Street Fighter mentality made for a finals scrap away from home.
Despite the presence of Kalyn Ponga, the Knights’ spine was judged among the weakest in the NRL by many season previewers.
But they are proving doubters wrong, with a little-known Kiwi prospect at the heart of their golden run.
Hooker Phoenix Crossland is no star, but he is brave to the extreme and recently won his club’s Gladiator award selected by former players.
Utility Crossland has done an excellent job at dummy half, covering for injury. This has also made him a leftfield Kiwi selection – he was born in Wellington before his family shifted to Australia when he was still very young.
