Newcastle Knights need more playmaking polish if they are to challenge top teams

The Newcastle Knights may have got the points on Friday night, but their lack of backline polish was exposed against the Wests Tigers, writes Brent Read.

If you want to know why the Newcastle Knights are throwing the kitchen sink at Dylan Brown, do yourself a favour and watch the opening 40 minutes at Campbelltown Stadium on Friday night.

This was the Knights at their very worst. Errors, penalties, just about every cardinal sin you can commit on a football field.

The few times they managed to hold the ball, they lacked the quality to finish it off. Jack Cogger tried hard but his kicking game missed the mark. Fletcher Sharpe was threatening but wasn’t able to put the finishing touches on moments of brilliance.

Kalyn Ponga created chances but he can’t do it on his own, hence the Knights’ decision to table a $13 million offer to Brown to entice him away from Parramatta.

Kalyn Ponga of the Knights hits the fence after tapping the ball into touch. Picture: Getty Images

Ponga needs more help and he needs it fast. Brown is the man in Newcastle’s crosshairs as they look to land a player capable of adding some class and quality to a backline that has lashings of strike.

Centre Bradman Best looked threatening. Dane Gagai can still get it done. Brown would have topped it off. Instead, Ponga was left to will his side over the line against a Wests Tigers side that lost their way in the second half.

Time and again he defused Tigers’ kicks and inched out of the in-goal to retain possession. He gave a classy short ball for Dylan Lucas in the lead-up to one try. He was then involved in the leadup to Greg Marzhew’s matchwinner.

The Knights eventually found a way but it wasn’t pretty. On this evidence, they won’t be sending shivers through the competition this season.

Jacob Saifiti of the Knights celebrates with teammates at full-time. Picture: Getty Images

“Definitely wasn’t pretty,” Ponga said.

“We will get some lessons out of that one in terms of what style of footy wins the first four or five rounds of the comp this year.

“Our errors didn’t help that and it was hard to get into a rhythm. That second half I felt good, which is what happens when you hold the footy.”

The partnership with Sharpe gives Newcastle reason for hope. Sharpe has been thrust into five-eighth in an attempt to give the Knights some more impetus and he looked dangerous.

Ponga insisted their combination would only get better.

“Definitely hoping to improve,” Ponga said.

“You can see glimpses of what Sharpey has. He is a talented player. For us it is about getting him the footy in good places and working with each other.

“He is only going to get better.”

The Knights will as well although they have a long way to go when you compare their performance with that of the Brisbane Broncos on Thursday night.

Or for that matter Penrith and Canberra in Las Vegas. Which brings us back to Brown. The Eels superstar has been offered a king’s ransom to join Newcastle and a decision is expected to arrive soon.

If they can nab Brown, the thought of partnering him with Ponga and Sharpe is a mouth-watering proposition. Then, maybe. the Knights can start dreaming about another premiership.

Originally published as Newcastle Knights need more playmaking polish if they are to challenge top teams