Door isn’t closed on Ponga switch
Newcastle star Kalyn Ponga has refused to close the door on his five-eighth experiment, saying he doesn’t think he played that poorly in the position.
Knights
Bulldogs showdown won’t faze Klemmer
David Klemmer is less than a week away from taking on his old team for the first time but the former Bulldog is utterly focused on his new surroundings.
LIVE: NRL teams Round 8
Jason Taumalolo is a welcome return for SuperCoaches as another injury crisis hits.
Early Mail: Broncos shock, Sharks boost, Benji back
Brisbane drops a bombshell — and Kodi Nikorima — by selecting young gun at halfback while Cronulla gets some welcome news after their injury crisis.
Bush Beat: Walsh helping next gen shine
Former Knights and Panthers halfback Luke Walsh is helping indigenous youth in Newcastle overcome their setbacks to succeed.
Why Maloney’s not happy at Penrith
SAINT, SINNER, SHOOSH: Billy Slater making a huge impression as an assistant coach in the AFL. PLUS, why Penrith star could be on the way out.
Vintage Pearce shines bright for faithful Novocastrians
Newcastle halfback Mitchell Pearce has delivered a stunning performance to steer his struggling Knights out of a form slump, and like a true captain, he lifted when his side needed him most.
Arthur: Parra still the Eel-deal
Brad Arthur has refused to use Parramatta’s ongoing contract dramas as an excuse after watching his team crash back to reality against the Knights.
Late Mail: Ferguson returns for Eels
It’s the final game of Round 7 and there are changes for both line-ups — check out the final teams for Newcastle v Parramatta.
How social media is damaging NRL stars’ careers
Chad Townsend will never see what Kalyn Ponga saw. It wasn’t booze, girls or gambling that made Newcastle Knights coach Nathan Brown return Ponga to fullback just three rounds into the season. It was social media, David Riccio writes.
Brown to be spared axe despite Knights form
Newcastle won’t sack Nathan Brown even if the club fails to make the top eight this season — but the struggling coach faces increasing pressure to raise performances and secure his future.
How cheating coaches have created ‘ugly’ NRL
Six rounds into the new season, and already the NRL has turned into an ugly mess again — with the edict given to referees to swallow the whistle backfiring because of coaches’ determination to cheat, writes PAUL KENT.
Brown’s time running out as perfect Knights fit emerges
Time and patience appear to be running thin for Newcastle coach Nathan Brown. There are no shortage of potential replacements, but one stands out above the pack.
‘I’m more concerned with Penrith than NSW’
The incumbent Blues halves pairing have endured a difficult start to 2019 but James Maloney insists his mind isn’t on his State of Origin jersey as he and Nathan Cleary attempt to turn Penrith’s ailing NRL season around.
Pressure mounts on Brown as Titans rout Knights
Nathan Brown had been on notice due to Newcastle’s slow season start but appears on borrowed time after his side suffered as fifth-straight loss and 10th in 12 games.
The move to save Newcastle’s season
Danny Buderus has urged the Knights to play Connor Watson at five-eighth to ignite Mitchell Pearce’s game and help relieve pressure on under-fire coach Nathan Brown.
Sliding doors: Mitchell Pearce and what could have been
Cooper Cronk’s arrival at the Roosters transformed the careers of Luke Keary and Mitchell Pearce. Keary is going from strength to strength while Pearce struggles in Newcastle.
Why knives are sharpening for Knights coach
Newcastle’s horror era is supposed to be over. But the reality is an Edrick Lee intercept is all that stands between them and an 0-5 start to the year — and the fans are right to start getting restless.
Round 6 teams: Manly lose Fonua-Blake
A number of stars expected to miss the upcoming Round 6 NRL action have been named despite carrying injuries. See all the teams here and re-live the SuperCoach chat with Tom Sangster.
Tempers flare as Sea Eagles edge Knights
It was a case of no Turbo, no worries as the Sea Eagles cruised past the Knights with a 26-18 win at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday night.
Brown backs under fire Pearce despite ‘mixed’ form
Nathan Brown concedes Mitchell Pearce’s form this year has been “mixed”, but says the Newcastle captain should not be singled out for the team’s lacklustre start.
Rabbitohs target Inglis replacements
South Sydney draw up a short-list of candidates as they hurriedly search for a centre given the uncertainty surrounding Greg Inglis. PLUS, the reason for Parramatta’s contract delays.
Ponga rushes home after family tragedy
Kalyn Ponga has returned to New Zealand to attend the funeral of a family member, whose death has reportedly left the Newcastle sensation heartbroken.
Full Round 5 NRL team lists
Tom Trbojevic is out long-term but SuperCoaches are blessed with a host of cheapie options over the next two weeks. SEE EVERY SQUAD HERE
Ponga who? Red V breaks Knights’ hearts in thriller
All the talk might have been about Kalyn Ponga returning to the fullback role for the Knights but for the second week in a row it was a Corey Norman field goal that delivered victory to the Dragons.
‘This is his time’: Buderus has his say on Knights’ hooker conundrum
Kurt Mann and Danny Levi are neck and neck as the race to lock down the Knights No.9 jersey heats up, but club legend Danny Buderus has his say on who should be given first crack.
Beattie calls for probe into punishment consistency
With the Rabbitohs escaping punishment over the lewd texting scandal, and varied penalties for Greg Inglis, Ben Barba and Matt Lodge, the NRL Integrity Unit has been asked for a consistency report.
Trbojevics top list of NRL’s free agent frenzy
Manly stars Tom and Jake Trbojevic head the latest bumper crop of players coming off contract that NRL clubs are clamouring to sign. CHECK OUT THE FREE AGENT BIG GUNS
Joey’s claim to highest ever SuperCoach score
The legacy of Andrew Johns continues to grow, with the NRL Immortal staking claim to the highest unofficial SuperCoach score of all-time.
Why Ponga switch leaves entire NRL on notice
Newcastle superstar Kalyn Ponga has shed some light on his switch to five-eighth, including how the Knights plan to maximise his game-breaking ability.
Enough’s enough: NRL greats back Barba ban
NRL players have been put on notice by Todd Greenberg that no more misbehaviour will be tolerated — and the message has been heard loud and clear in the wake of an off-season from hell.
‘Rugby league is a lie’: Legend laments NRL crisis
Former Queensland Origin player Billy Moore said he had reacted with “anger despair and embarrassment’’ to the code’s latest instance of alleged domestic violence.
Ponga’s first crack at emulating Lockyer
Kalyn Ponga will begin his transition into the halves for the Maori side against the Indigenous All Stars as he tries to match the feat successfully achieved by the great Darren Lockyer.
NRL Physio’s 2019 casualty ward
The 2019 NRL season is fast approaching and a host of stars are racing the clock for Round 1. NRL Physio analyses the most pressing injuries.
Gould questions NRL’s referees mandate
The NRL is visiting all 16 clubs to unveil a new refereeing policy, aimed at rewarding attacking footy and minimising stoppages — but it already has raised eyebrows in rugby league land.
How every club’s goal-kicking depth stacks up
Last year we saw the emergence of Rhyse Martin and Jamayne Isaako with the boot, and 2019 could be set to produce a new crop of sharpshooters in the NRL.
Burning issues facing every NRL club in 2019
The NRL never stops, even in the off-season, but with just 47 days to go until the first game of 2019 begins, Michael Carayannis looks ahead to the burning on-field issue which will dictate your club’s fortunes.
Mata’utia ready to fight for his chance
Newcastle Knights second-rower Sione Mata’utia was unsure about having to fight for his spot, but now he’s welcoming the challenge.
Ponga’s priority is to make champion’s Maroons jumper his own
Kalyn Ponga says he’s got plenty left to achieve in the NRL before any potential rugby switch, and one of those goals is to nail down a champion’s Maroons jersey.
Champion’s Choice: Aidan Guerra
In the first of our Champion’s Choice series for 2019, reigning NRL SuperCoach winner Guy Feeney reveals a left-field POD that has taken his fancy.
Knights free to sack Brown
In a revelation that will put Nathan Brown’s job on the line should Newcastle crash to a poor season start, the Knights can axe their coach whenever they want.
SuperCoach study guide: Knights
A new-look Newcastle squad are a team on the up – spearheaded by superstar Kalyn Ponga – making them a side to look out for in SuperCoach in 2019. TEAM ANALYSIS
NRL stars under pressure in 2019
Parramatta flyer Bevan French faces a career-defining 2019 — and tops our list of the top six NRL players under the most pressure to perform next season.
Klemmer defends Napa over videos drama
As off-field incidents continue to mount in the NRL, David Klemmer has come to the defence of the man who replaced him at Canterbury.
Every 2019 NRL jersey as it is released
A new NRL season also means new NRL jerseys for every club. Here we catalogue the jerseys for each club as they become available ahead of season 2019.
Knights in no rush for Mann move
He was signed to play dummy half but Kurt Mann’s transition into the No.9 jersey may not be complete by the time Newcastle play Cronulla in their round one clash.
Knights NRL star charged with assault
Rugby league has been hit with another off-field incident with Newcastle’s Tautau Moga charged by police after he allegedly slapped a taxi driver in the head.
How your NRL club’s spine stacks up against the rest
Who are the players that could make next season special for your club? PAUL CRAWLEY delivers his verdict on the fullback-halves-hooker combinations for every NRL team heading into 2019.
Knights to unleash new-look spine in Kogarah clash
Newcastle coach Nathan Brown will use a preseason hitout against St George Illawarra to test his revamped 1-6-7 combination in a game that could double as Corey Norman’s first appearance as a Dragon.
‘Licking our lips’: Klemmer to add ‘two-pronged improvement’ to Knights
A streamlined David Klemmer has Knights coach Nathan Brown salivating, with the representative front-rower expected to inspire a ‘two-pronged improvement’ in the squad.
Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/nrl/teams/knights/page/28