Match Discussion: Round 2 vs Dolphins @ McDonald Jones Stadium, New Lambton / Awabakal

[League Unlimited News]

NRL 2025 - Round 2
Newcastle Knights v Dolphins
McDonald Jones Stadium, New Lambton / Awabakal (TICKETS)

Thursday 13 March 2025
Kickoff 8:00pm AEDT
Live on Nine, 9Now, Fox, Kayo

1. Kalyn Ponga 2. James Schiller 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Fletcher Sharpe 7. Jack Cogger 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Leo Thompson 11. Dylan Lucas 12. Kai Pearce-Paul 13. Tyson Frizell
14. Jayden Brailey 15. Jack Hetherington 16. Adam Elliott 17. Mathew Croker
18. Brodie Jones 19. Will Pryce 20. Logan Aoake 21. Matthew Arthur 22. Thomas Cant

Changes from last match:
In: Adam Elliott (bench), Will Pryce (reserve), Logan Aoake (reserve), Matthew Arthur (reserve), Thomas Cant (reserve)

1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Jake Averillo 4. Herbie Farnworth 5. Junior Tupou 6. Kodi Nikorima 7. Isaiya Katoa 8. Daniel Saifiti 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 10. Felise Kaufusi 11. Oryn Keeley 12. Max Plath 13. Tom Gilbert
14. Kurt Donoghoe 15. Josh Kerr 16. Mark Nicholls 17. Ray Stone
18. Sean O'Sullivan 19. Max Feagai 20. Kenny Bromwich 21. Harrison Graham 22. Aublix Tawha

Changes from last match:
Out: Kulikefu Finefeuiaki (second row), Connelly Lemuelu (bench)
In: Kodi Nikorima (five-eighth), Oryn Keeley (second row), Mark Nicholls (bench), Max Feagai (reserve), Kenny Bromwich (reserve), Harrison Graham (reserve), Ob Tawha (reserve)
Changes: Sean O'Sullivan (five-eighth to reserve)

Referee: Gerard Sutton Sideline Officials: Kasey Badger, Matt Noyen Video Referee: Ashley Klein

HEAD TO HEAD - 2023 - 2024​

	TOTAL	NEW	DOL	DRAWN
ALL MATCHES	4	3	1	0
MCD. JONES	2	1	1	0

LAST FIVE MEETINGS​

YEAR	ROUND	RESULT	VENUE	CROWD
2023	Round 3	DOL 36-20	McD. Jones	20093
2023	Round 23	NEW 30-28	Optus Stadium	45814
2024	Round 8	NEW 18-14	Suncorp	18033
2024	Round 27	NEW 14-6	McD. Jones	29433

BIGGEST WINS​

YEAR	ROUND	RESULT	VENUE	CROWD
2023	Round 3	DOL 36-20	McD. Jones	20093
2024	Round 27	NEW 14-6	McD. Jones	29433

NEXT FOUR MATCHES​

	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6
NEWCASTLE	GLD (A)	BYE	CBY (A)	WST (H)
DOLPHINS	WST (H)	BRI (H)	GLD (A)	PEN (H)

CURRENT FORM​

	Round 1
NEWCASTLE	WST	W 10-8
DOLPHINS	SOU	L 14-16

STATE OF PLAY: 2025 SEASON​

	POSITION	PLAYED	BYES	W-L-D	FOR	AGAINST
NEW	7th	1	0	1-0-0	10	8
DOL	10th	1	0	0-1-0	14	16

 

[Yosh]

I just want to see Jacob smash Dan in a tackle.

 

[Woody90]

Hoping we’ll improve enough to jag another win. We’re absolutely awful early in the year but need to bank as many wins as we can against beatable teams.

 

[ryan.a87]

Got to make a plan around what to do when dsaf knocks it on towards the end of the set coming out of their own end. Got to capitalise on what we know is going to happen

 

[Old dog]

Have gut feeling DSaf will make huge effort to show us what we let go and to impress his new team mates, may only last a game and it is at his old home ground

 

[Walk On Home Boy]

Have gut feeling DSaf will make huge effort to show us what we let go and to impress his new team mates, may only last a game and it is at his old home ground

DSaf making a huge effort in anything is something I'd never bet on.

 

[Walk On Home Boy]

Dolphins were absolutely shocking v Souffs. How they lost i'll never know. I thought they'd do that easily based on roster alone.

We can't be that bad twice, surely. We should win well here.

 

[ryan.a87]

You must be new here

Knights “winning well” in a match where they are favourites is not something they do

 

[perverse]

Dolphins were absolutely shocking v Souffs. How they lost i'll never know. I thought they'd do that easily based on roster alone.

We can't be that bad twice, surely. We should win well here.

My thoughts as well, I can't imagine us being that bad twice in a row. It was diabolical. There's huge risk we "put the football away" and play hyper conservative again though, so look forward to that.

 

[Walk On Home Boy]

You must be new here

Knights “winning well” in a match where they are favourites is not something they do

Not new. It's a symptom of the years upon years of mental and emotional torture imposed upon me by the Newcastle Knights that cause occasional delusions of hope.

 

[Walk On Home Boy]

My thoughts as well, I can't imagine us being that bad twice in a row. It was diabolical. There's huge risk we "put the football away" and play hyper conservative again though, so look forward to that.

Fwiw I think the there are too many genuine footballers in the side now to go back to playing that dour style. Example, I can't see Sharpe, Ponga etc being on board with that idea.

I'm really huffing that hopium today aren't I?

 

[mozza91]

Hold onto the ball and we’ll win comfortably. It shouldn’t be too much to ask but knowing us it probably will be.

 

[Walk On Home Boy]

...or...we could just go ahead and make Dan Saifiti look like prime Chief Harragon. We give at least one nuffy their career best game each season.

 

[perverse]

...or...we could just go ahead and make Dan Saifiti look like prime Chief Harragon. We give at least one nuffy their career best game each season.

This is way more the script I'm used to following. It's DSafs grand final this week.

 

[mozza91]

This is way more the script I'm used to following. It's DSafs grand final this week.

I’m going the other way. He’ll have a shocker. When he makes a completely unforced error the whole crowd can do a sigh of relief that we don’t have to worry about that anymore.

 

[slotmachine]

Only change is Jones to 18th man, Elliott onto the bench. Pretty predictable after the Jones no-show last week.

 

[League Unlimited News]

1. Kalyn Ponga 2. James Schiller 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Fletcher Sharpe 7. Jack Cogger 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Leo Thompson 11. Dylan Lucas 12. Kai Pearce-Paul 13. Tyson Frizell

14. Jayden Brailey 15. Jack Hetherington 16. Adam Elliott 17. Mathew Croker

18. Brodie Jones 19. Will Pryce 20. Logan Aoake 21. Matthew Arthur 22. Thomas Cant

Changes from last match:
In: Adam Elliott (bench), Will Pryce (reserve), Logan Aoake (reserve), Matthew Arthur (reserve), Thomas Cant (reserve)

NRL TEAMS - 2025 Round 2 » League Unlimited

leagueunlimited.com

 

[Woody90]

1. Kalyn Ponga 2. James Schiller 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Fletcher Sharpe 7. Jack Cogger 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Leo Thompson 11. Dylan Lucas 12. Kai Pearce-Paul 13. Tyson Frizell

14. Jayden Brailey 15. Jack Hetherington 16. Adam Elliott 17. Mathew Croker

18. Brodie Jones 19. Will Pryce 20. Logan Aoake 21. Matthew Arthur 22. Thomas Cant

Changes from last match:
In: Adam Elliott (bench), Will Pryce (reserve), Logan Aoake (reserve), Matthew Arthur (reserve), Thomas Cant (reserve)

NRL TEAMS - 2025 Round 2 » League Unlimited

leagueunlimited.com

Other than the glaring weakness at 7 I like this. Having both Croker and Jones on the bench was too much of the same. Happy one of them has been dropped back.

In a perfect world I’d swap Friz and Elliott as I’m not sure about Friz’s ball playing, but maybe the idea is to bring Elliott on to lock anyway.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Strong side. Us by 16 and D. Saf to get himself binned.

Even our NSW Cup side looks strong this week.