NRL 2021: Gold Coast Titans vs Newcastle Knights, David Fifita form, Kalyn Ponga

Six tries in five games, tackle busts galore and regularly running 150m-plus - and the scary thing is that Titans coach Justin Holbrook reckons David Fifita is only just getting started.

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 10: David Fifita of the Titans is tackled by Kalyn Ponga of the Knights during the round five NRL match between the Gold Coast Titans and the Newcastle Knights at Cbus Super Stadium, on April 10, 2021, in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

David Fifita proved he is the most destructive player in the NRL with a stunning hat-trick as the Gold Coast Titans took a hammer to Newcastle’s premiership credentials.

Fifita bagged three tries for the first time in his NRL career as the Titans racked up a 42-16 thrashing of the hapless Knights at Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Fifita was the star of the show on a stunning Gold Coast day, earning every cent of his record $3.5 million contract with a brutal performance.

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David Fifita was unstoppable, scoring his first career hat-trick against the Knights.

He brushed aside Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga, playing his first game of the year, twice as Newcastle’s premiership hopes were left shattered with a third straight loss to a bottom eight team from 2020.

The Titans were too fast and ferocious for Newcastle, with Patrick Herbert and Corey Thompson scoring doubles in the eight–try rout to move the Gold Coast back into the NRL’s top eight.

Fifita has now scored six tries in only five games for the Titans and finished the match with 150m and seven tackle busts to prove he is the most dangerous player in the game.

“He is a great player and we’re using him well, even when we don’t he makes something happen anyway,” said Titans coach Justin Holbrook.

“He’s been terrific for us and there’s a lot of improvement in him. He has only just turned 21. He’s going to get better. He is working a lot harder, which is great for us.

“The more he gets involved in a game, the better he is going to be. It’s about being consistent week-to-week.

“I was really happy with the way we were playing. We played some really good footy straightaway.

“I want us to play (expansive footy). We’ve got so much strike in our side and I want them to take it if it presents itself.”

David Fifita just can’t stop scoring tries.

KNIGHTS ARE CROCK STARS

Knights are full of players that think they are rock stars.

They swan around Newcastle like they run the town and their Instagram pages look more like that of music or movie stars than footy players.

It is an attitude that is bringing the club down given most of them haven’t won anything in the NRL.

They look more interested in podcasts, clothing labels and photo filters than learning how to defend.

Newcastle’s first half defence was near non-existent as the Titans jumped out to a 26-6 lead and they had few answers for Fifita.

The Knights were woeful with and without the ball and copped an almighty spray from coach Adam O’Brien at halftime.

“It’s hard to defend some of that performance,” O’Brien said.

“We made some really poor concentration errors, schoolboy errors, and weren’t prepared to defend them. It was clear in the first two sets defence wasn’t our priority.

“I wouldn’t say it’s an attitude problem. Do we have a concentration problem? Yes. Do we make silly errors? Yes.

“We’re on a journey of maturity and we need to continue on that journey for as long as it takes.

“It’s not ideal (where we are after five rounds). It’s not where we want to be.”

The Knights came out with more intent in the second half but the damage was already done and there was no coming back.

They have no hope of winning this year’s NRL premiership.

The return of Kalyn Ponga did the Knights no favours, as their defence fell apart.

NEW RULE A FARCE

NRL’s new 18th man rule came under fire after Titans winger Phillip Sami was left concussed following a heavy shot from Tyson Frizell.

Sami was helped off the field after just six minutes following a brutal collision with Frizell which left the Titans flyer wobbling.

Frizell was penalised and placed on report by referee Ashley Klein but given he was not sin-binned or sent off the Titans were not allowed to use their 18th man - utility Beau Fermor.

That left the Titans with 16 players for the remaining 74 minutes of the match due to an act of foul play from Frizell.

The contact from Frizelle on Sami was front on, as opposed to a shoulder charge or swinging arm, which explained why he wasn’t sent from the field.

However the Gold Coast was forced into a reshuffle of their team early in the game due to a head knock, raising questions about the purpose of the NRL’s 18th man rule.

“It’s tough for the NRL, they’re looking at coaches not manipulating things but non-one wants to lose a winger after five minutes,” Holbrook said.

“It’s putting too much pressure on the referee. That wasn’t a sin-bin offence but he clearly hit the player in the head with his shoulder.

“I think (on-report should be enough to use the 18th man). Even a time period like in the first 20 minutes. It’s not for me to decide.”

Originally published as NRL 2021: Gold Coast Titans vs Newcastle Knights, David Fifita form, Kalyn Ponga