Ponga masterclass leads Knights to 20-6 victory over Dolphins

The Newcastle Knights continued their strong start to the 2025 NRL season with a dominant 26-12 victory over the Dolphins at McDonald Jones Stadium.

Kalyn Ponga orchestrated the win with a commanding first-half performance, helping his side race to a 20-6 lead before halftime and setting up four of Newcastle’s five tries.

The highly anticipated clash saw the Saifiti brothers face off for the first time, and they wasted no time in making an impact.

Daniel Saifiti, now with the Dolphins, took the first hit-up of the game and was met head-on by his twin brother Jacob in a brutal collision that set the tone for a physical contest.

The Knights wasted little time getting on the board, with new recruit James Schiller crossing in the ninth minute to open the scoring with the top NRL bookmakers paying $9 as the first tryscorer.

A potential Dolphins response was ruled out after Felise Kaufusi was penalised for an obstruction in the lead-up to a Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow try.

Moments later, Schiller secured his second try, with BetOnline paying $5.20 for a double.

Bradman Best and Dane Gagai then capitalised on more attacking raids ignited by Ponga’s brilliance.

Newcastle Knights v Dolphins Round 2 highlights

Ponga was in everything for Newcastle, tallying 100 running metres, three try assists, and even stepping into some of the kicking duties.

His performance drew high praise from rugby league greats, with Greg Alexander labelling him “mesmerising” and Michael Ennis noting his willingness to be the focal point in attack.

The Knights‘ fullback linked seamlessly with halves Fletcher Sharpe and Jack Cogger, showing promising early-season chemistry.

The Dolphins finally got on the board just before halftime, capitalising on a Greg Marzhew handling error.

Isaiya Katoa showcased his sharp playmaking instincts to send Mark Nicholls crashing over, reducing the deficit to 20-6 at the break.

Newcastle extended their lead early in the second half when Adam Elliott broke the line with a powerful run before finding Sharpe, who turned provider to put Dylan Lucas over.

Katoa gave the Dolphins a glimmer of hope with a solo effort in the 67th minute, stepping through Newcastle’s middle defence, but that was as close as they would get.

Kai Pearce-Paul’s sin-binning in the 69th minute for a shoulder charge on Daniel Saifiti momentarily gave the Dolphins an extra-man advantage, but they failed to capitalise, with errors and poor execution continuing to haunt them.

Knights coach Adam O’Brien was pleased with the effort but admitted there were areas to improve, particularly in the latter stages of the match when Newcastle took their foot off the gas.

“We probably fell in love with trying to score 32 points instead of keeping them to six,” he said post-match.

“There was a period where we were forcing low-percentage plays, but we steadied, and I was really pleased with the way we defended our try-line.”

For Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf, the loss leaves his side winless after two rounds.

While he praised the effort of playmaker Isaiya Katoa, he lamented his team’s discipline, particularly in crucial moments.

“Our discipline let us down. Whenever we got a bit of momentum, we seemed to give the ball straight back,” Woolf said.

Fox League’s Michael Ennis and Cooper Cronk were critical of the Dolphins’ lack of energy, with Ennis describing their performance as “lethargic” and Cronk adding that they were “lacking enthusiasm.”

Matty Johns was also left disappointed, stating that the side played “too sideways” in attack, making it easy for the Knights’ defence.

Despite the talk surrounding his future and speculation linking him to a move away from Newcastle after the announcement of Dylan Brown signing the largest deal in NRL history, Ponga’s performance showed he remains fully committed to the Knights’ cause.

His energy and leadership were evident, as he celebrated every big play and lifted his side with his involvement.

The Dolphins will look to regroup ahead of their round-three clash against the Tigers, a match that already feels like a must-win.

Meanwhile, Newcastle will have a chance to continue their early-season momentum when they take on the Titans before heading into their first bye of the season.

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