‘No one else’: Worrying Kalyn Ponga sight as Knights fall to historic low

The Newcastle Knights have slumped to a historic low, and vision of Kalyn Ponga said it all as his side struggled to fire a shot on Sunday.

The Newcastle Knights are in trouble after a hapless loss to the Wests Tigers on Sunday prompted questions about their lacklustre attack.

The Tigers defeated the Knights 20-4 to claim their third win of the season, while Newcastle have come back to earth after winning their opening two games of the season.

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Newcastle have struggled to hit the scoreboard in 2025 and that trend continued at McDonald Jones Stadium with Fletcher Sharpe and Phoenix Crossland not producing many opportunities in attack in the absence of injured Jack Cogger.

“At the moment, their attack is really struggling,” Matty Johns said on Fox League.

Nathan Hindmarsh added: “It looks like at the moment their solely relying on Kalyn (Ponga) to jag something from the back. There was no one really else they’re looking at for something for happen.”

Knights skipper Kalyn Ponga was spotted gathering his teammates in a huddle in the changerooms at halftime and marshalling his troops in an effort to inspire the team after going down 14-0.

Watch Kalyn Ponga rally his teammates in the video above

Kalyn Ponga tries to rally the Knights at halftime.

Jahream Bula caught Ponga out of position, grubbering for himself on the same edge to extend the lead to 14, and leave the home side scrambling.

The siren not only sent the Tigers into halftime with a 14-0 lead, but left alarm bells ringing for Newcastle, having scored just a singular try in their last 236 minutes of play heading into the break.

The drought continued until the 79th minute when Fletcher Sharpe crossed for a consolation try, marking 275 minutes between tries for Newcastle.

“It has been a lean month for the Knights,” commentator Andrew Voss said on Fox League.

“In total, they have scored 46 points this season and we’re up at round 6. It is their least number of points through their first five matches of a season in their history.”

Knights coach Adam O’Brien said post-game: “There’s a combination of things with the attack, there’s concentration errors, that puts the pressure on and creates the yips for some.

“We completed our first nine sets, we didn’t fire any bullets because we were so fixated on a high completion rate.”

DOUBLE SIN BIN DRAMA

Newcastle continued to capitulate on the opposite end of halftime, Sharpe knocking on at dummy-half ten metres out from their own line, before Marzhew dropped it on a 20-metre tap just minutes later.

Kalyn Ponga couldn't believe the sin bin. Photo: Fox League.

A scuffle broke out between the Tigers and Knights. Photo: Fox League.

Despite losing Jeral Skelton to a lower leg injury early in the second stanza, the Tigers’ attack kept their foot on the pedal before things erupted in the 53rd minute.

A strong tackle from To’a on his opposite number Dane Gagai turned into an all-in push-and-shove, with both centres earning ten minutes in the bin, and handing the Tigers a penalty goal straight in front.

Voss said: “Gee I don’t know whether 10 in the bin is warranted. The ref is setting the standard so it doesn’t escalate and players don’t do it anymore. I get why he did it.”

Young Knights’ forward Jermaine McEwen punished his own side further after dropping the ball 20-metres out, scooped up by Samuela Fainu who found Luai on the left-side, sending Doueihi over the line untouched.

A try in the final minute to Sharpe meant the club wouldn’t suffer consecutive 20-0 losses, but it leaves the club in a tough spot heading into Round 7.

NEWCASTLE ATTACK A SINKING SHIP

The Newcastle Knights had comfortably the worst attack in the NRL heading into this clash, and their performance against Wests did nothing to change that.

A bus without a driver, the club desperately needed someone to step up – and no one grabbed the reins.

The club has now scored just two tries in their last 276 minutes of play.

Who’s coming in to fix the mess? Tyson Gamble, Jack Cogger, Jackson Hastings?

If Newcastle fans needed any more convincing that the Dylan Brown contract was the right call, this performance justifies it.

Jahream Bula of the Tigers celebrates a try in his impressive performance. (Photo by Scott Gardiner/Getty Images)

You can half justify losing 20-0 to the NRL’s best defensive side in Canterbury, but to do the same against the threepeating wooden spooners in the Tigers? Alarm bells in the Hunter.

While Newcastle should welcome James Schiller and Tyson Gamble back for next weekend’s Easter Sunday clash against Cronulla, the same can’t be said about the rest of their missing troops.

While they’re expected to welcome Mason Teague to the club effective immediately from the Dolphins this week, it’s unlikely the lock forward will slot straight into the 17.

Still without the likes of Dylan Lucas, Adam Elliott, Jacob Saifiti and Jack Hetherington, it’s all hands on deck in Newcastle’s forward pack right now.

With Jack Blyth, NewsWire

Originally published as ‘No one else’: Worrying Kalyn Ponga sight as Knights fall to historic low