Match Discussion: Round 27 vs Dolphins @ McDonald Jones Stadium, New Lambton / Awabakal

[League Unlimited News]

NRL 2024 - Round 27
Newcastle Knights v Dolphins
McDonald Jones Stadium, New Lambton / Awabakal (TICKETS)

Sunday 8 September 2024
NRL kickoff 4:05pm
Broadcast live on Nine, 9Now, Fox, Kayo

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

In: Tyson Frizell (second row), Tyson Gamble (bench), Jackson Hastings (reserve), Sebastian Su'a (reserve), Kai Pearce-Paul (reserve)
Changes: Brodie Jones (second row to bench)

1. Trai Fuller 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 4. Herbie Farnworth 5. Jack Bostock 6. Jake Averillo 7. Sean O'Sullivan 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Max Plath 10. Tevita Pangai Junior 11. Felise Kaufusi 12. Connelly Lemuelu 13. Kenny Bromwich 14. Jeremy Marshall-King 15. Ray Stone 16. Mark Nicholls 17. Kodi Nikorima 18. Lachlan Hubner 19. Isaiya Katoa 20. Oryn Keeley 21. Kurt Donoghoe 22. Tesi Niu

In: Jesse Bromwich (front row), Kodi Nikorima (bench), Oryn Keeley (reserve), Kurt Donoghoe (reserve), Tesi Niu (reserve)
Changes: Mark Nicholls (front row to bench), Lachlan Hubner (lock to reserve), Kenny Bromwich (bench to lock)

Referee: Ashley Klein Sideline Officials: Liam Kennedy, Chris Sutton; Video Referee: Gerard Sutton

HEAD TO HEAD - 2023 - 2024​

	TOTAL	NEWCASTLE	DOLPHINS	DRAWN
ALL MATCHES	3	2	1	0
MCD. JONES	1	0	1	0

LAST THREE MEETINGS​

YEAR	ROUND	RESULT	VENUE	CROWD
2023	Round 3	DOLPHINS 36-20	McD. Jones	20093
2023	Round 23	NEWCASTLE 30-28	Optus Stadium	45814
2024	Round 8	NEWCASTLE 18-14	Suncorp	18033

BIGGEST WINS​

YEAR	ROUND	RESULT	VENUE	CROWD
2023	Round 3	DOLPHINS 36-20	McD. Jones	20093
2024	Round 8	NEWCASTLE 18-14	Suncorp	18033

FINALS?​

NEWCASTLE - win and in, winner takes 8th. However, a draw will see the winner of Dragons-Raiders take 8th.
DOLPHINS - win and in, winner takes 8th. However, a draw will see the winner of Dragons-Raiders take 8th.

LAST THREE MATCHES​

	Round 24		Round 25		Round 26
NEWCASTLE	CRONULLA	L 18-19	SOUTH SYDNEY	W 36-16	GOLD COAST	W 36-14
DOLPHINS	CANTERBURY	L 10-30	MELBOURNE	L 6-48	BRISBANE	W 40-6

STATE OF PLAY: 2024 SEASON​

	POSITION	PLAYED	BYES	W-L-D	FOR	AGAINST
NEWCASTLE	9th	23	3	11-12-0	456	504
DOLPHINS	8th	23	3	11-12-0	571	564

 

[Rod]

Kind of amazing after such a weird year that we have a 'win and in' scenario in the final round.

Crowd should be rocking and will make a difference.

 

[Jono078]

Old boys day. Win and we're in. All or nothing.

Dolphins 38-22.

 

[Yosh]

If Ponga gets the ball 2 or 3 times every set, I can't see us losing this.

 

[Scootsie]

It’s an elimination final come early.
With the home ground advantage and experienced players back in the side, it really is the Knights’ game to lose here.
Dolphins will be riding high on Bennett and making history, but hopefully the Knights will rediscover that defensive mettle they showed glimpses of earlier in the year.

 

[Frederick]

Kind of amazing after such a weird year that we have a 'win and in' scenario in the final round.

Crowd should be rocking and will make a difference.

I expect a similar atmosphere to the raiders final last year

 

[Apey]

Haters gunna hate, but I reckon we get done comfortably here. Crossdog and the Cogmeister might be enough for garbage teams like Souths and Titans but not for a team competing for 8th with one of the best coaches in the game.

Our wins this year:
Storm, Dragons, Dolphins (RD8), Warriors, Tigers, Titans, Eels, Canberra, Tigers, Souths, Titans

Our big hope is their last game was their Grand Final.

Hope I'm wrong.

 

[mozza91]

I was more worried about yesterday to be honest. Titans are a team that can pull a great attacking performance out of their arse.
The Broncs were horrible on Saturday. The Titans performance yesterday was much better than that shitshow.

We’ll win and win pretty well. Big home crowd and old boys day are a big factor. Not expecting to get any 50/50 calls due to the ‘Bennett factor’ but we need to be better than that to get the win.

Us by 14 with KP putting on a clinic. Best looked a little lame yesterday hopefully he’s better for the run because he’s got a huge job marking Herbie.

 

[Scootsie]

I was more worried about yesterday to be honest. Titans are a team that can pull a great attacking performance out of their arse.
The Broncs were horrible on Saturday. The Titans performance yesterday was much better than that shitshow.

We’ll win and win pretty well. Big home crowd and old boys day are a big factor. Not expecting to get any 50/50 calls due to the ‘Bennett factor’ but we need to be better than that to get the win.

Us by 14 with KP putting on a clinic. Best looked a little lame yesterday hopefully he’s better for the run because he’s got a huge job marking Herbie.

Yes, Herbie has had a good season. A good buy for the Dolphins.

 

[Woody90]

Dolphins defend the same way we do: sit back and slide. A lot’s been said about Ponga but main thing we need are the forwards to be hitting some short passes through the middle if we’re any chance IMO.

 

[Rod]

Kind of amazing after such a weird year that we have a 'win and in' scenario in the final round.

I just looked it up and if we do happen to pull the win out, the last time we were in the 8 was Round 12 lol. That can't have happened too many times.

 

[Woody90]

I just looked it up and if we do happen to pull the win out, the last time we were in the 8 was Round 12 lol. That can't have happened too many times.

I’m amazed we’ve been in the 8 at all this year tbh lol

 

[Rod]

I’m amazed we’ve been in the 8 at all this year tbh lol

That thought had briefly crossed my mind also, but we had just won 4 in a row after Ponga got injured and were 6-5.

But yeah we've only been in the 8 for 2 rounds this year, 11 and 12.

 

[Rod]

Our wins this year:
Storm, Dragons, Dolphins (RD8), Warriors, Tigers, Titans, Eels, Canberra, Tigers, Souths, Titans

So basically everyone that's going to finish below us except the Broncos - maybe we deserve to make it after all!

 

[Apey]

So basically everyone that's going to finish below us except the Broncos - maybe we deserve to make it after all!

I never really subscribe to whether teams deserve to be where they are or not, if we beat the Dolphins we deserve to be there. It's a legitimate play-off.

What it does say to me though is we've struggled to beat teams around and above the position we are in now. We haven't been embarrassed that often, we have done pretty well in some games against the top 8 actually, but we can't seem to beat them.

I don't expect us to get thrashed (although would anyone really be surprised?), so when I say beaten comfortably It's not about the score. Rather, I'm predicting the Dolphins will be on top for most of the match - they'll hit a lead at some point and won't lose it.

All that being said, I'm excited for Sunday and rugby league fans should be as well. The last game of the regular season is a finals qualifier, on a Sunday afternoon at a ground that will be at capacity with the best fans in the league.

 

[Rod]

I never really subscribe to whether teams deserve to be where they are or not, if we beat the Dolphins we deserve to be there. It's a legitimate play-off.

What it does say to me though is we've struggled to beat teams around and above the position we are in now. We haven't been embarrassed that often, we have done pretty well in some games against the top 8 actually, but we can't seem to beat them.

I don't expect us to get thrashed (although would anyone really be surprised?), so when I say beaten comfortably It's not about the score. Rather, I'm predicting the Dolphins will be on top for most of the match - they'll hit a lead at some point and won't lose it.

All that being said, I'm excited for Sunday and rugby league fans should be as well. The last game of the regular season is a finals qualifier, on a Sunday afternoon at a ground that will be at capacity with the best fans in the league.

I fully agree, I was mostly just being facetious because this is something NRL fans love to complain about. Team x 'didn't deserve to make it' or are 'frauds' etc.

I remember a few years ago heaps of people were complaining about the Sharks making the 8, because they'd lost to all the teams above them and beaten all the teams below them. They finished 12-12 and even had a points differential of 0. It was the perfectly average season, so in reality they finished exactly where they should have.

At the end of the day 27 rounds is more than enough to decide who makes it (in fact if anything it's too long). Whoever ends up making it, deserves to in my book.

 

[Burwood]

I expect this game to mirror Round 8 against them- we’ll play well for the majority of the match and be in control, only for the Dolphins to finally decide to throw the ball around and score back-to-back tries with 5 minutes to go and provide a nail biting finish. Hopefully we can hold on again.

 

[Zoidberg]

Gamble named on the bench.
Wonder who we will actually start with?
Do you keep a winning team or pick Gamble over Phoenix or Coggs?

 

[Apey]

Lol I would pick Gamble immediately over Cogger without hesitation. I'm surprised Gamble is fit, I thought he broke his hand?

 

[Zoidberg]

Lol I would pick Gamble immediately over Cogger without hesitation. I'm surprised Gamble is fit, I thought he broke his hand?

I would too but who knows how O’brien wil go.
Broken bone in the hand should be about 3-4 weeks recovery, it wil be 3 weeks since he did it on Sunday. Maybe he’s just being named as a decoy.