Round 8: Dolphins v Knights preview
Phins look to strike wounded Knights armour
The Dolphins will look to gather back to back victories when they host a struggling and injury hit Newcastle Knights side as part of ANZAC Round at Suncorp Stadium.
The Dolphins have faced a lot of injuries to start the season but presented their best performance of 2024 with a commanding 28 point victory over Parramatta. Trai Fuller delivered a great performance at fullback which shows that he's more than ready for a top 30 spot. Isaiya Katoa continues to improve, despite a slow start. The former Panther and Tongan international had his best performance of the season, while Max Plath was scintillating in his return from suspension.
Against Newcastle, the main challenge is complacency for the home side. This is a match they are expecting to win and win well in front of their home crowd. They will have to continue to expose the Newcastle middle especially with the impact that Josh Kerr and Ray Stone have provided in recent weeks. Out wide, their task is harder given that Marzhew and Best have worked hard out of yardage. They'll be made to work hard for the two competition points.
Onto team news, just the one personnel change with Fuller retained at fullback. Kurt Donoghoe comes onto the pine with Sean O'Sullivan making way onto the reserves. Connelly Lemuelu appears for the first time since the opening round and is an outside chance of returning.
For Newcastle, their season is getting from bad to worse quickly. If they lose game number six on the year, Adam O'Brien might be reaching for a life preserver to save his job. They were outplayed in every facet of the game by a vastly improved Bulldogs outfit. It got worse when Kalyn Ponga was forced off injured. A significant turn around in performance will be required if they are to come within the NRL's best attacking side through seven rounds.
To beat the Dolphins, the big task will be in creating attacking points. A halves combination generated it seems by Wheel of Fortune on an almost weekly basis has seen the most exciting attack to finish 2023, produce a distinct lack of flair in recent seasons. It needs to change quickly or else the Knights will continue to tumble down the ladder. On top of that, they need to get more production out of their forwards, a point that will be addressed below.
Ponga is out, coming into the big shoes is debutant David Armstrong who has starred in the KOE NSW Cup to start this season. Dane Gagai returns pushing Enari Tuala onto the wing and Tom Jenkins out of the 22 altogether. Jed Cartwright also joins the bench replacing Jack Hethrington after his brain snap against the Bulldogs. The Gamble/Hastings halves combo gets another chance.
Last meeting: Round 23 2023 - Dolphins 28 Knights 30
Who to watch: For the Dolphins, the focus is on Jeremy Marshall-King. One of the game's most explosive dummy halves. JMK's impact through the middle third against a weary and fatigued Parramatta defence was instrumental in their attacking raid which saw victory assured. Against a Newcastle middle which is known for leakage, JMK could have a field day against the Knights.
Newcastle's forward pack is problematic, and the focus is on both Jacob and Daniel Saifiti. As the leaders of this pack, their output has been less than desirable. Jacob will be looking for an improved output in game 150, having under 100m against the Bulldogs pack. On the other hand, Daniel has been disappointing only running over 100m twice this season and was also very poor against the Bulldogs. Against a highly improved Dolphins pack, the Knights duo need to win the battle.
Favourite: Given Ponga's injury, the Dolphins are runaway favourites for this game. Both teams split the season record in their first season series last year.
My tip: It's hard to go past the Dolphins and some stats to back it up. Newcastle are 3-7 without Kalyn Ponga in the last ten matches. Given their attacking output so far this season and YET ANOTHER change in the spine, I think it's too far gone for the Knights. They will improve on last outing, but they will need significant improvements and a performance that frustrates the Dolphins. Dolphins by 16.
