Newcastle Knights defeat Dolphins 26-20: Jack Bostock suffers suspected ACL injury
The Dolphins’ win streak came to an end at the hands of the Knights, a loss which came at a further cost with star winger Jack Bostock suffering a suspected ACL injury.
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The Newcastle Knights have snatched another last gasp victory, this time toppling the red-hot Dolphins 26-20 in Perth.
Queensland stars Kalyn Ponga and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow hung back in Perth after toppling New South Wales on Wednesday night, Ponga marking one of five massive inclusions for Newcastle.
The away side welcomed back injured stars Bradman Best, Fletcher Sharpe and Tyson Frizell, on top of the recently re-recruited Dominic Young, rushed straight back into the side a week after facing the club as a Rooster.
Newcastle and the Dolphins’ attack has been chalk and cheese so far in 2025, the Phins crossing for 158 points in their last three games, while the Knights have scored just 193 so far this season.
Dom Young scored a try on his second debut at the Knights, having made the move back to Newcastle from the Roosters.
The English flyer crossed 43 times in 51 appearances for Newcastle between 2021 and 2023, including a record-breaking 25 tries in his final season at the club.
Just a week after scoring a career-high four tries against the Cowboys, Jack Bostock’s season would come crumbling down in the space of seven days after suffering a suspected ACL rupture in Perth.
The winger was coming back for a routine kick return when his knee buckled before contact, leaving a massive hole in the Phins’ backline for the remainder of the season.
Newcastle were denied a try-of-the-season contender to Jayden Brailey after Schiller’s final ball was called forward after some stellar lead-up, but it wouldn’t dash Newcastle’s spirits.
Just two weeks after a golden point bomb handed Ponga a match-winner thanks to a Fletcher Hunt bat-back, another bomb in the final minute paid dividends for Adam O’Brien’s side.
This time, it was a drop from the Hammer landing in the lap of Bradman Best, the tackle-breaking centre dancing through defenders before flinging it back to Brodie Jones, the middle forward crossing for the match-winner out wide.
It’s Newcastle’s second last gasp victory in three weeks, and if not for a controversial Siua Wong try last weekend, O’Brien would be staring down the barrel of three straight victories.
The win props Newcastle above the cellar dwellers just in time for Parramatta and the Gold Coast to play each other on Sunday, and separate the wooden spoon from Newcastle’s grasp.
PHINS’ ATTACK FIRES THANKS TO SUPER HALVES
The Dolphins have x-factor coming out the wazoo, between star backs in the Hammer and Herbie Farnworth, and dynamic forwards like Connelly Lemuelu, but their halves can take a bow.
Kodi Nikorima and Isaiya Katoa may seem to be the NRL’s odd couple, but the two halves are clicking as well as any halves combination in the competiton right now.
Nikorima bagged his third try in as many weeks tonight while Katoa became the competition’s lead on the try-assists tally, stamping his dominance on this side.
BACK TO THE FUTURE FOR NEWCASTLE BACKLINE
If you ask any Newcastle Knights’ fan what their highlight of the Adam O’Brien era has been, they’ll tell you how good their ten-win streak back in 2023 was.
Points were flowing, vibes were high, the attack clicked, and for the first time in nearly two years, fans had that feeling back after Dominic Young was reunited with the club’s right-edge.
The backline that season was Ponga, Marzhew, Best, Gagai and Young, and if Greg hadn’t been scratched late for this clash, then the whole gang would be back together.
BITTERSWEET WEEK FOR BOSTOCK CLAN
If you ever want to see what a turbulent, rollercoaster few days looks like, just ask the Bostock family how their last seven days has gone.
Dolphins’ winger Jack scored four tries last Saturday before younger sister Indie scored in her New South Wales U19s debut on Thursday night, only for the week to end with Jack’s season ending prematurely on the back of a knee injury.
The high-flyer suffered a suspected ACL rupture against Newcastle, ending the winger’s season just as he was finding his stride in the side. Despite momentarily snatching the lead, the Dolphins just couldn’t get it done without Bostock.
Originally published as Newcastle Knights defeat Dolphins 26-20: Jack Bostock suffers suspected ACL injury
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