NRL 2023 Round 17 highlights: Panthers win 20-12 over Knights, Eels beat Dolphins 48-20

Question marks surround Knights coach Adam O’Brien, with Newcastle left fighting for their season after falling to a Panthers side missing all of their Origin stars.

The Knights are fighting for their season, after falling to the Panthers. Picture: Getty Images.

Just 10 weeks ago the Knights were unlucky in a golden point loss to a full-strength Penrith side when they were clearly the better side.

Now they are fighting for their season and question marks will surround coach Adam O’Brien after his side fell-flat against a Penrith side missing their Origin stars.

In a game which meant plenty they lacked intensity and line speed eventually going down 20-12 but they never looked comfortable.

The Knights are fighting for their season, after falling to the Panthers. Picture: Getty Images.

“Frustrated for the players,” O’Brien said. “Frustrated for the staff. We shot ourselves in the foot with execution and got a bit panicky.

“We lost that transition. We didn’t have a good ball set in the first half.”

The Knights have a bye wedged into matches against Canterbury and Tigers. They will not only be season defining for Newcastle this year but also for O’Brien’s coaching future. The Titans axed Justin Holbrook whose side sit above the Knights.

Question marks will surround coach Adam O’Brien after the Knights went down to a Panthers side missing all of their Origin stars. Picture: Getty Images.

“We have to keep swinging,” O’Brien said. “The boys are in there swinging away. We’re just lacking a little bit. We need to stick together, stay tight and (it will) turn.

“(We) don’t run away from it. If there was an easy fix I would’ve fixed it. Some weeks we’re coming up short with the ball. I felt like we lacked going to a Plan B with the ball. Same shift and shape and they handled it. Being able to transition into a different style or jump off script a little bit is an area we can improve.”

Interchange forward Jack Hetherington spent time in the sin-bin either side of half-time. He was binned for slapping Izack Tago while standing at marker.

The Knights trailed 16-6 when Hetherington was binned but in the dying moments of that 10 minute stint they conceded a try from dummy half to Jaeman Salmon.

“He got slapped from the ground,” O’Brien said. “That one was hidden. Jack’s was blatant. It wasn’t a smart thing to do by Jack.”

MOSES BURIES ORIGIN DEMONS AS ELECTRIC EELS SHOCK DOLPHINS

—Travis Meyn

Mitchell Moses buried his Origin demons as the electric Eels put their NRL premiership rivals on notice with a 48-20 thrashing of the dreadful Dolphins on Saturday afternoon.

Parramatta made it five wins in a row and moved to the cusp of the NRL’s top four with a brutal annihilation of Wayne Bennett’s expansion club at Sunshine Coast Stadium.

The seven-try first half massacre to open up at 42-4 lead was a clinical display from the surging Eels, with Moses rebounding from his Origin II disappointment to blitz the Dolphins.

Next week’s second Battle of Brisbane derby against the ladder-leading Broncos at the Gabba could be another debacle for the Dolphins if they produce a similar performance.

On the other hand, the Eels are flying and if you need to lose a grand final before you win one then this Parramatta team has the hunger to avenge last year’s decider debacle to Penrith.

Mitchell Moses bounced back from a disappointing Origin loss, guiding Parramatta to a dominant win over the Dolphins. Picture: Getty Images.

ELECTRIC EELS

The Dolphins got on the scoreboard first through wing debutant Brayden McGrady, nephew of Bulldogs great Ewan McGrady, but that’s where the joy ended.

The Dolphins made Bryce Cartwright look like Sonny Bill Williams and Moses the modern day Andrew Johns as the Eels ran amok.

Forwards Andrew Davey and J’Maine Hopgood exposed the Dolphins’ dodgy defence before Will Penisini, Bailey Simonsson, Sean Russell and Clint Gutherson got in on the action.

The 42-4 lead at the break was the most first half points the Eels have ever scored in the club’s 76-year history, with Moses pulling the strings backing up after NSW’s 32-6 loss on Wednesday night.

The Eels and Blues No. 7 finished with nine runs for 130m, six tackle busts, three line breaks and 16 points as Parramatta proved their slow start to the season is history and they’re back in the premiership hunt.

J’Maine Hopgood was a standout for the Dolphins, exposing the Dolphins’ dodgy defence. Picture: NRL Imagery.

“We played tough, we wanted to play the long game and did that,” Moses told Fox League.

“We weren’t happy with how we started the year. It’s the first time we’ve won five straight in a very long time.

“We’ve been putting some good performances together now and hopefully we can take it into the rest of the year.”

Eels coach Brad Arthur

“I can sit here and be critical of our second half, but we did the job,” coach Brad Arthur said.

“We’ve won five in a row and haven’t done that at the club in my time. We were in a bit of a hole at the start of the year in terms of results.

“It sets us up for a nice rest in the bye then we can reassess. We’ve got some big games coming up.”

‘PHINS DOWN

After an encouraging start to the season which saw the Dolphins sitting equal first at one stage, the Phins are well and truly down at Redcliffe following three straight losses.

Now in the bottom eight, the Dolphins seem to have lost the defensive desire they built their early season success on and looked totally at sea trying to contain the slippery Eels.

The Dolphins had another day to forget, having now conceded 136 points in their last three games. Picture: NRL Imagery.

On the back of a 58-18 thrashing by Manly in their last game, and a 30-8 loss to the Warriors the previous round, the Dolphins have conceded 136 points in their past three matches.

They were legless in attack without crafty hooker Jeremy Marshall-King (shoulder), Bennett bizarrely opting to start young halfback Isaiya Katoa in the unfamiliar and demanding position.

The Dolphins showed a bit more defensive sting in the second half and a double to Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow added some respectability to the score.

But they have some soul-searching to do before facing the in-form Broncos.

“We had a pretty poor start, we came back in the second half and showed we could do a bit of something,” coach Wayne Bennett said.

“It was the same at Manly and with the Warriors.

“I thought we found something in the second half and it was important we did. I’m pleased we managed to do what we did in the second half.

“They reminded themselves what they’ve got to do to play well. There were a lot of good things in the second half.”