Latest news with #DylanBrown
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Matty Johns predicts rival club's huge play for Melbourne Storm young gun
Matty Johns feels the Newcastle Knights could be set to make a big play for Melbourne star Jonah Pezet with a halfback merry-go-round occurring in the NRL. This week reported the Knights told Jack Cogger and Tyson Gamble they are free to leave the club if they can negotiate long-term deals elsewhere. The Knights have used a baffling number of halves combinations in 2023 and 2024, but it appears going forward Cogger and Gamble are seen as surplus to requirements. Jackson Hastings is also set to leave after the 2025 season. Since the news, Cogger has been linked with a move back to Penrith. Incoming recruit Dylan Brown is expected to play in the halves in 2026 with Fletcher Sharpe partnering him in the No.6 jersey. Although former Knights five-eighth Johns feels the club is freeing up space in the salary cap for a play at Pezet. The 22-year-old playmaker has been biding his time behind Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes at the Storm. Hughes' re-signing means Pezet can now negotiate with other clubs due to a clause in his contract. Pezet was linked to the Knights, before he signed a deal to keep him at the Storm until 2029. The playmaker grew up close to the city and the Knights initially thought they might be able to lure him back. And Johns feels the Knights might be freeing up cash to target the highly-touted playmaker after recent updates suggest he will have to bide his time as a reserve for a few more years at the Storm. "I reckon they are freeing up stuff for Jonah Pezet," Johns said Thursday on SEN Radio. "They made a big play for Jonah Pezet a couple of years is a local junior." Speaking on Wednesday, Johns added he feels the club is making room for a huge play at the local junior. "When it was spoken about where he may end up, I thought well it won't be the Knights because we have a mile of halves. But obviously they are trying to clear space," he added. "We need some stability there because we have gone, honestly, every single week with a new halves combination." RELATED: Reece Walsh urged to 'make a decision' as Broncos face $5 million issue Stunning news about Latrell Mitchell as Bennett axing divides Jonah Pezet tossing up options at Melbourne Storm Pezet played 29 minutes from the bench in the 22-2 win over the Broncos on Thursday night, but is still behind Munster, Hughes and now Tyran Wishart in the halves pecking order. That marked his 14th appearance for the club. And speaking this week around the speculation, Pezet claimed he would like to be playing more footy going forward. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to play NRL every week," Pezet said. "As a kid you grow up and that's what you want to do. So of course I want to chase those opportunities. But I'm just focused on putting my best foot forward every week, so that's when Belza (coach Craig Bellamy) picks me in the team." While talks of a loan deal for Pezet have emerged, Munster is also signed on until the end of the 2027 season. Speaking on NRL 360 this week, agent Braith Anasta said his player Munster isn't set to leave Melbourne before his deal ends and it's all just speculation at the moment. This follows plenty of speculation the Perth Bears are keen on bringing Munster over as a marquee signing. And Anasta's insistence Munster is remaining in Melbourne until the end of the 2027 season, and maybe beyond, could prompt a move from Pezet. And Johns feels the Knights are going to be one of the team's going big for the 22-year-old star.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dylan Brown issue singled out after Eels grand final player pushes to leave club
Dylan Brown's inclusion in Parramatta's 22-man squad for the NRL showdown against the Cowboys has emerged a major reason behind Eels grand final star Bailey Simonsson's third release request in the last month. Simonsson was one of the first Eels players extended under first-year coach Jason Ryles at the end of last season, when he signed a new three-year deal to stay at Parramatta until the end of 2027. But the relationship between the player and coach appears to have broken down, and the situation took another dramatic turn this week when he was left out of the Eels' squad for Sunday's home game against North Queensland. With Sean Russell fracturing his hand against the Melbourne Storm last week, Eels fans were probably expecting Simonsson to be named as his replacement at centre. But after Simonsson made it clear to Ryles in recent weeks that his preferred position was on the wing, the Parramatta coach opted to name the versatile Jordan Samrani to start in the centres, with Simonsson left out of the 22-man squad entirely. Compounding the issue is the fact Brown has been included in the extended squad at Simonsson's expense, and is in line for a potential NRL recall. Newcastle-bound Brown has been dropped from Ryles' first grade side towards the back end of the season, as the Eels coach prioritises players who'll be at the club next season. But it's understood his inclusion for the Cowboys game has prompted Simonsson's latest request for a release, with reporting that Brown is expected to replace Samrani at centre. The report claims Simonsson is furious with his treatment by the Eels and it's led to his third request for a release in the last month. The previous two came after the two-time grand-finalist was dropped by the Eels after a heavy defeat to Canberra in round 20, when he started in the centres. And after making it clear that his preference was to play on the wing, that's where Ryles has been playing Simonsson in the NSW Cup in recent weeks. However, it's understood that Simonsson didn't want to rule himself out of playing in the centres when he informed Parramatta's coaching staff that he saw the wing as his ideal position. The Eels are already well stocked on the wing though, with NSW and Kangaroos star Zac Lomax on one flank, and former rep star Josh Addo-Carr on the other, making Simonsson's stance hard to fathom. It's also part of the reason why Ryles chose not to consider Simonsson for a centre spot in place of the injured Russell, with Samrani and Brown ahead of him in the pecking order. Eels could let Bailey Simonsson go after third release request But after knocking back Simonsson's previous two requests for a release, it's understood Parramatta bosses are now giving strong consideration to allowing him to leave the club in the wake of the latest development. Simonsson has only played six games in first-grade in 2025, after making a successful return from an ACL injury. He played in Round 19 against Penrith and Round 20 against Canberra, before being demoted to reserve grade. RELATED: Penrith's finals charge hits major hurdle after worrying Isaah Yeo news Dragons set to sign QLD Origin player as former coach lands new gig Calls for NRL rule change after second Panthers trainer incident Simonsson could become the third player from the 2022 grand final team to depart mid-season, following the exits of Bryce Cartwright and Ryan Matterson as coach Ryles conducts a clean-out at the club. "That for me is very puzzling because Bailey has been one of the key signings we've had for the last couple of years," former Parramatta player Tim Mannah said on NRL Tonight this week. He's always done a job for us, so I don't know what the story is there. But I'm a huge fan of Bailey's as well, and I think he's got the right to be in the team." I find it really odd that Bailey Simonsson would ask to play wing (if that's what happened). Lomax and Fox clearly ahead of him in the winger depth chart. Besides injuries, centre was his only option if he wanted to play first grade. — NRLCentral (@centralNRL) August 7, 2025 It's a shame because he is a fan favourite & I like the way he plays. Problem is there are only 2 wing spots and he is the 3rd best winger on the team — Living The Dream (@DMiddy78) August 7, 2025 Simonsson told Ryles after the Raiders game that he didn't want to play centre, and that he was a wingerBailey has requested three releases since that gameNow that Ryles is considering a shock switch to Brown in centres, Bailey wants that role backToo demanding, goodbye — Sam Curro (@samcurr95262813) August 7, 2025 I love Simmo, but if he wants out, so be it. More cap towards the rebuild and if a player doesnt want there, so be it. — Anth (@ANVL007) August 7, 2025
ABC News
19-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Luke Garner: We had a line in the sand moment that has turned everything around
Penrith is starting to hover ominously behind the top 4 on the NRL ladder after notching a 6th straight win in round 20. Second rower Luke Garner (22:38) puts it down to a serious chat that the whole senior group had 6 or 7 weeks ago that decided training intensity had definitely dropped. Garner told Andrew Moore and the team that they've really stepped up their defensive effort but he couldn't throw too much light on his own playing future. Luke Lewis had a bit to say on the immediate future of Newcastle bound Eel Dylan Brown (32:11). Plus catch up on all the latest Rugby League news - and speculation - in MC's Hammertime (40:04).
The Advertiser
19-07-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Knights fan survey: What you said about Ponga, O'Brien and the Dylan Brown mega-deal
The Knights are at least four years away from being a premiership contender, the Dylan Brown contract wasn't a smart deal and there is little confidence in coach Adam O'Brien retaining his job. Fans are also divided on captain Kalyn Ponga's commitment to the rest of his contract, despite his public declaration about wanting to stay at the Knights until at least the end of 2027. They are some of the key takeaways from a Newcastle Herald survey this week, which canvassed opinion on several topics related to Newcastle's NRL side. And the message from Knights fans is clear: disappointment and frustration. That was the theme of almost all of the 322 comments. "Rubbish... It is not just the coach - players dropping ball, missing tackles, silly penalties," one user responded. "As [Andrew Johns] pointed out this season is a reflection of the prior 20 years of downward spiral - whole culture of the place stinks." That was one brutal assessment after the Herald sought to gauge readers' views in light of the reports about the Knights weighing up O'Brien's future, and that injured skipper Kalyn Ponga was exploring his options despite being contracted, like O'Brien, for a further two years. It wasn't all bad though and there is the future. "Necessary down season in order to get rid of too many bad-value contracts," another fan wrote. "Hastings, Pryce, Brailey, Hetherington, Pearce Paul etc. Some good young players given a debut, hopefully means future success." Almost 500 fans completed the nine-question survey. Here are the results: Newcastle have made the finals four out of the past five years under O'Brien, which at face value, gives the impression they're building towards a title push. But close to 80 per cent of respondents believe the Knights, amid a disappointing campaign - placed 13th after six wins in 17 games - are at least four years away from being a genuine contender. Broken down, 57 per cent said they were 4-6 years away, while 20 per cent said they were 7-10 years off. Only 16 per cent thought they could vie for a premiership in 1-3 years. O'Brien's finals record is creditable, but since the team ran 14th in 2022, his position has been scrutinised. A miraculous, Ponga-inspired 10-game winning streak into the 2023 finals series helped save his job that year, and earned him a three-year contract extension. But an overwhelming 85 per cent of survey respondents believe the Knights and O'Brien will now part ways, despite the coach having two seasons left on his deal. Ponga posted a brief statement on social media on Thursday saying he was "committed" to the Knights until the end of his contract, and that he was "excited about the vision of the club". Opinion was almost evenly split on whether he will actually see out his deal, running to the end of the 2027 season, with 53 per cent saying he wouldn't and 47 per cent believing he will. If O'Brien does continue at the helm, he will have Eels playmaker Dylan Brown on the roster to work with next year. The Knights have signed Brown on a 10-year, $13 million deal. The deal's length and expense for a player the Eels have now dropped to 18th man has been widely panned, and 77 per cent agreed. Only 23 per cent of respondents thought it was a smart buy. The doubts about Newcastle's premiership credentials were reflected in what respondents thought of the NRL roster. Close to 70 per cent said the club didn't have a squad capable of playing finals. Without injured trio Ponga, Fletcher Sharpe and Dylan Lucas for the rest of this season, respondents also had little confidence in the Knights making a late run to the finals. Close to 50 per cent believe the team will finish 14th or 15th, while 25 per cent thought last or second last. About 22 per cent backed the team to slightly improve or stay where they are, finishing 11th to 13th. The Knights may have landed Brown for next season, and switched Sharpe to five-eighth this year, but 38 per cent of survey respondents voted for the 'halves' as the positional area the club needed to add depth to moving forward. After letting the likes of former representative props David Klemmer and David Saifiti depart the club in recent years, and losing New Zealand international Leo Thompson to the Bulldogs at season's end, the Knights need to bolster their front-row depth and it was the overwhelming position respondents voted to strengthen at 53 per cent. Newcastle have debuted several players in 2025, but it was no surprise to see the majority of respondents (82 per cent) vote for rookie back Fletcher Hunt as the 'find of the season'. Forwards Jermaine McEwen and Tom Cant, who has had a breakout year despite debuting in 2023, were also well thought of. Sharpe, who scored 11 tries in 14 games before suffering season-ending injuries last month, was viewed as Newcastle's best player this year. The 21-year-old Cessnock junior won 49 per cent of the vote, but was closely followed by Dane Gagai (32 per cent). Ponga, who was injured a week after Sharpe but is now out for a similar period, gained only one per cent of the vote. Several factors have contributed to Newcastle's results this year, which plenty of fans acknowledged. "Injury to forward stocks hurt us more than people realised," one said. "Having Jacob Saifiti, Leo Thompson, Dylan Lucas, Jack Hetherington and Adam Elliot out at [much] same time meant plenty of fringe [players were in the team]." Another wrote similar: "Everyone talks about our attack. Without depth through the middle to create go forward, scoring opportunities are hard to create, especially with slow ruck speed." Others were less forgiving: "Woeful, but realistically we've probably overachieved in recent years .... we have one of the better back-lines in the comp but need much better halves and some better props too." The development of local talent was also a common theme: "They've lost sight of what matters in Newcastle, the locals. How many players have to leave Newcastle to debut in the NRL and go on to become week-in, week-out first-grade players?" Reccurring one-word descriptions of the season were "disappointing", "frustrated" and "ordinary". One reader may have summed it up best: "Bitterly disappointed when the season promised so much." The Knights are at least four years away from being a premiership contender, the Dylan Brown contract wasn't a smart deal and there is little confidence in coach Adam O'Brien retaining his job. Fans are also divided on captain Kalyn Ponga's commitment to the rest of his contract, despite his public declaration about wanting to stay at the Knights until at least the end of 2027. They are some of the key takeaways from a Newcastle Herald survey this week, which canvassed opinion on several topics related to Newcastle's NRL side. And the message from Knights fans is clear: disappointment and frustration. That was the theme of almost all of the 322 comments. "Rubbish... It is not just the coach - players dropping ball, missing tackles, silly penalties," one user responded. "As [Andrew Johns] pointed out this season is a reflection of the prior 20 years of downward spiral - whole culture of the place stinks." That was one brutal assessment after the Herald sought to gauge readers' views in light of the reports about the Knights weighing up O'Brien's future, and that injured skipper Kalyn Ponga was exploring his options despite being contracted, like O'Brien, for a further two years. It wasn't all bad though and there is the future. "Necessary down season in order to get rid of too many bad-value contracts," another fan wrote. "Hastings, Pryce, Brailey, Hetherington, Pearce Paul etc. Some good young players given a debut, hopefully means future success." Almost 500 fans completed the nine-question survey. Here are the results: Newcastle have made the finals four out of the past five years under O'Brien, which at face value, gives the impression they're building towards a title push. But close to 80 per cent of respondents believe the Knights, amid a disappointing campaign - placed 13th after six wins in 17 games - are at least four years away from being a genuine contender. Broken down, 57 per cent said they were 4-6 years away, while 20 per cent said they were 7-10 years off. Only 16 per cent thought they could vie for a premiership in 1-3 years. O'Brien's finals record is creditable, but since the team ran 14th in 2022, his position has been scrutinised. A miraculous, Ponga-inspired 10-game winning streak into the 2023 finals series helped save his job that year, and earned him a three-year contract extension. But an overwhelming 85 per cent of survey respondents believe the Knights and O'Brien will now part ways, despite the coach having two seasons left on his deal. Ponga posted a brief statement on social media on Thursday saying he was "committed" to the Knights until the end of his contract, and that he was "excited about the vision of the club". Opinion was almost evenly split on whether he will actually see out his deal, running to the end of the 2027 season, with 53 per cent saying he wouldn't and 47 per cent believing he will. If O'Brien does continue at the helm, he will have Eels playmaker Dylan Brown on the roster to work with next year. The Knights have signed Brown on a 10-year, $13 million deal. The deal's length and expense for a player the Eels have now dropped to 18th man has been widely panned, and 77 per cent agreed. Only 23 per cent of respondents thought it was a smart buy. The doubts about Newcastle's premiership credentials were reflected in what respondents thought of the NRL roster. Close to 70 per cent said the club didn't have a squad capable of playing finals. Without injured trio Ponga, Fletcher Sharpe and Dylan Lucas for the rest of this season, respondents also had little confidence in the Knights making a late run to the finals. Close to 50 per cent believe the team will finish 14th or 15th, while 25 per cent thought last or second last. About 22 per cent backed the team to slightly improve or stay where they are, finishing 11th to 13th. The Knights may have landed Brown for next season, and switched Sharpe to five-eighth this year, but 38 per cent of survey respondents voted for the 'halves' as the positional area the club needed to add depth to moving forward. After letting the likes of former representative props David Klemmer and David Saifiti depart the club in recent years, and losing New Zealand international Leo Thompson to the Bulldogs at season's end, the Knights need to bolster their front-row depth and it was the overwhelming position respondents voted to strengthen at 53 per cent. Newcastle have debuted several players in 2025, but it was no surprise to see the majority of respondents (82 per cent) vote for rookie back Fletcher Hunt as the 'find of the season'. Forwards Jermaine McEwen and Tom Cant, who has had a breakout year despite debuting in 2023, were also well thought of. Sharpe, who scored 11 tries in 14 games before suffering season-ending injuries last month, was viewed as Newcastle's best player this year. The 21-year-old Cessnock junior won 49 per cent of the vote, but was closely followed by Dane Gagai (32 per cent). Ponga, who was injured a week after Sharpe but is now out for a similar period, gained only one per cent of the vote. Several factors have contributed to Newcastle's results this year, which plenty of fans acknowledged. "Injury to forward stocks hurt us more than people realised," one said. "Having Jacob Saifiti, Leo Thompson, Dylan Lucas, Jack Hetherington and Adam Elliot out at [much] same time meant plenty of fringe [players were in the team]." Another wrote similar: "Everyone talks about our attack. Without depth through the middle to create go forward, scoring opportunities are hard to create, especially with slow ruck speed." Others were less forgiving: "Woeful, but realistically we've probably overachieved in recent years .... we have one of the better back-lines in the comp but need much better halves and some better props too." The development of local talent was also a common theme: "They've lost sight of what matters in Newcastle, the locals. How many players have to leave Newcastle to debut in the NRL and go on to become week-in, week-out first-grade players?" Reccurring one-word descriptions of the season were "disappointing", "frustrated" and "ordinary". One reader may have summed it up best: "Bitterly disappointed when the season promised so much." The Knights are at least four years away from being a premiership contender, the Dylan Brown contract wasn't a smart deal and there is little confidence in coach Adam O'Brien retaining his job. Fans are also divided on captain Kalyn Ponga's commitment to the rest of his contract, despite his public declaration about wanting to stay at the Knights until at least the end of 2027. They are some of the key takeaways from a Newcastle Herald survey this week, which canvassed opinion on several topics related to Newcastle's NRL side. And the message from Knights fans is clear: disappointment and frustration. That was the theme of almost all of the 322 comments. "Rubbish... It is not just the coach - players dropping ball, missing tackles, silly penalties," one user responded. "As [Andrew Johns] pointed out this season is a reflection of the prior 20 years of downward spiral - whole culture of the place stinks." That was one brutal assessment after the Herald sought to gauge readers' views in light of the reports about the Knights weighing up O'Brien's future, and that injured skipper Kalyn Ponga was exploring his options despite being contracted, like O'Brien, for a further two years. It wasn't all bad though and there is the future. "Necessary down season in order to get rid of too many bad-value contracts," another fan wrote. "Hastings, Pryce, Brailey, Hetherington, Pearce Paul etc. Some good young players given a debut, hopefully means future success." Almost 500 fans completed the nine-question survey. Here are the results: Newcastle have made the finals four out of the past five years under O'Brien, which at face value, gives the impression they're building towards a title push. But close to 80 per cent of respondents believe the Knights, amid a disappointing campaign - placed 13th after six wins in 17 games - are at least four years away from being a genuine contender. Broken down, 57 per cent said they were 4-6 years away, while 20 per cent said they were 7-10 years off. Only 16 per cent thought they could vie for a premiership in 1-3 years. O'Brien's finals record is creditable, but since the team ran 14th in 2022, his position has been scrutinised. A miraculous, Ponga-inspired 10-game winning streak into the 2023 finals series helped save his job that year, and earned him a three-year contract extension. But an overwhelming 85 per cent of survey respondents believe the Knights and O'Brien will now part ways, despite the coach having two seasons left on his deal. Ponga posted a brief statement on social media on Thursday saying he was "committed" to the Knights until the end of his contract, and that he was "excited about the vision of the club". Opinion was almost evenly split on whether he will actually see out his deal, running to the end of the 2027 season, with 53 per cent saying he wouldn't and 47 per cent believing he will. If O'Brien does continue at the helm, he will have Eels playmaker Dylan Brown on the roster to work with next year. The Knights have signed Brown on a 10-year, $13 million deal. The deal's length and expense for a player the Eels have now dropped to 18th man has been widely panned, and 77 per cent agreed. Only 23 per cent of respondents thought it was a smart buy. The doubts about Newcastle's premiership credentials were reflected in what respondents thought of the NRL roster. Close to 70 per cent said the club didn't have a squad capable of playing finals. Without injured trio Ponga, Fletcher Sharpe and Dylan Lucas for the rest of this season, respondents also had little confidence in the Knights making a late run to the finals. Close to 50 per cent believe the team will finish 14th or 15th, while 25 per cent thought last or second last. About 22 per cent backed the team to slightly improve or stay where they are, finishing 11th to 13th. The Knights may have landed Brown for next season, and switched Sharpe to five-eighth this year, but 38 per cent of survey respondents voted for the 'halves' as the positional area the club needed to add depth to moving forward. After letting the likes of former representative props David Klemmer and David Saifiti depart the club in recent years, and losing New Zealand international Leo Thompson to the Bulldogs at season's end, the Knights need to bolster their front-row depth and it was the overwhelming position respondents voted to strengthen at 53 per cent. Newcastle have debuted several players in 2025, but it was no surprise to see the majority of respondents (82 per cent) vote for rookie back Fletcher Hunt as the 'find of the season'. Forwards Jermaine McEwen and Tom Cant, who has had a breakout year despite debuting in 2023, were also well thought of. Sharpe, who scored 11 tries in 14 games before suffering season-ending injuries last month, was viewed as Newcastle's best player this year. The 21-year-old Cessnock junior won 49 per cent of the vote, but was closely followed by Dane Gagai (32 per cent). Ponga, who was injured a week after Sharpe but is now out for a similar period, gained only one per cent of the vote. Several factors have contributed to Newcastle's results this year, which plenty of fans acknowledged. "Injury to forward stocks hurt us more than people realised," one said. "Having Jacob Saifiti, Leo Thompson, Dylan Lucas, Jack Hetherington and Adam Elliot out at [much] same time meant plenty of fringe [players were in the team]." Another wrote similar: "Everyone talks about our attack. Without depth through the middle to create go forward, scoring opportunities are hard to create, especially with slow ruck speed." Others were less forgiving: "Woeful, but realistically we've probably overachieved in recent years .... we have one of the better back-lines in the comp but need much better halves and some better props too." The development of local talent was also a common theme: "They've lost sight of what matters in Newcastle, the locals. How many players have to leave Newcastle to debut in the NRL and go on to become week-in, week-out first-grade players?" Reccurring one-word descriptions of the season were "disappointing", "frustrated" and "ordinary". One reader may have summed it up best: "Bitterly disappointed when the season promised so much." The Knights are at least four years away from being a premiership contender, the Dylan Brown contract wasn't a smart deal and there is little confidence in coach Adam O'Brien retaining his job. Fans are also divided on captain Kalyn Ponga's commitment to the rest of his contract, despite his public declaration about wanting to stay at the Knights until at least the end of 2027. They are some of the key takeaways from a Newcastle Herald survey this week, which canvassed opinion on several topics related to Newcastle's NRL side. And the message from Knights fans is clear: disappointment and frustration. That was the theme of almost all of the 322 comments. "Rubbish... It is not just the coach - players dropping ball, missing tackles, silly penalties," one user responded. "As [Andrew Johns] pointed out this season is a reflection of the prior 20 years of downward spiral - whole culture of the place stinks." That was one brutal assessment after the Herald sought to gauge readers' views in light of the reports about the Knights weighing up O'Brien's future, and that injured skipper Kalyn Ponga was exploring his options despite being contracted, like O'Brien, for a further two years. It wasn't all bad though and there is the future. "Necessary down season in order to get rid of too many bad-value contracts," another fan wrote. "Hastings, Pryce, Brailey, Hetherington, Pearce Paul etc. Some good young players given a debut, hopefully means future success." Almost 500 fans completed the nine-question survey. Here are the results: Newcastle have made the finals four out of the past five years under O'Brien, which at face value, gives the impression they're building towards a title push. But close to 80 per cent of respondents believe the Knights, amid a disappointing campaign - placed 13th after six wins in 17 games - are at least four years away from being a genuine contender. Broken down, 57 per cent said they were 4-6 years away, while 20 per cent said they were 7-10 years off. Only 16 per cent thought they could vie for a premiership in 1-3 years. O'Brien's finals record is creditable, but since the team ran 14th in 2022, his position has been scrutinised. A miraculous, Ponga-inspired 10-game winning streak into the 2023 finals series helped save his job that year, and earned him a three-year contract extension. But an overwhelming 85 per cent of survey respondents believe the Knights and O'Brien will now part ways, despite the coach having two seasons left on his deal. Ponga posted a brief statement on social media on Thursday saying he was "committed" to the Knights until the end of his contract, and that he was "excited about the vision of the club". Opinion was almost evenly split on whether he will actually see out his deal, running to the end of the 2027 season, with 53 per cent saying he wouldn't and 47 per cent believing he will. If O'Brien does continue at the helm, he will have Eels playmaker Dylan Brown on the roster to work with next year. The Knights have signed Brown on a 10-year, $13 million deal. The deal's length and expense for a player the Eels have now dropped to 18th man has been widely panned, and 77 per cent agreed. Only 23 per cent of respondents thought it was a smart buy. The doubts about Newcastle's premiership credentials were reflected in what respondents thought of the NRL roster. Close to 70 per cent said the club didn't have a squad capable of playing finals. Without injured trio Ponga, Fletcher Sharpe and Dylan Lucas for the rest of this season, respondents also had little confidence in the Knights making a late run to the finals. Close to 50 per cent believe the team will finish 14th or 15th, while 25 per cent thought last or second last. About 22 per cent backed the team to slightly improve or stay where they are, finishing 11th to 13th. The Knights may have landed Brown for next season, and switched Sharpe to five-eighth this year, but 38 per cent of survey respondents voted for the 'halves' as the positional area the club needed to add depth to moving forward. After letting the likes of former representative props David Klemmer and David Saifiti depart the club in recent years, and losing New Zealand international Leo Thompson to the Bulldogs at season's end, the Knights need to bolster their front-row depth and it was the overwhelming position respondents voted to strengthen at 53 per cent. Newcastle have debuted several players in 2025, but it was no surprise to see the majority of respondents (82 per cent) vote for rookie back Fletcher Hunt as the 'find of the season'. Forwards Jermaine McEwen and Tom Cant, who has had a breakout year despite debuting in 2023, were also well thought of. Sharpe, who scored 11 tries in 14 games before suffering season-ending injuries last month, was viewed as Newcastle's best player this year. The 21-year-old Cessnock junior won 49 per cent of the vote, but was closely followed by Dane Gagai (32 per cent). Ponga, who was injured a week after Sharpe but is now out for a similar period, gained only one per cent of the vote. Several factors have contributed to Newcastle's results this year, which plenty of fans acknowledged. "Injury to forward stocks hurt us more than people realised," one said. "Having Jacob Saifiti, Leo Thompson, Dylan Lucas, Jack Hetherington and Adam Elliot out at [much] same time meant plenty of fringe [players were in the team]." Another wrote similar: "Everyone talks about our attack. Without depth through the middle to create go forward, scoring opportunities are hard to create, especially with slow ruck speed." Others were less forgiving: "Woeful, but realistically we've probably overachieved in recent years .... we have one of the better back-lines in the comp but need much better halves and some better props too." The development of local talent was also a common theme: "They've lost sight of what matters in Newcastle, the locals. How many players have to leave Newcastle to debut in the NRL and go on to become week-in, week-out first-grade players?" Reccurring one-word descriptions of the season were "disappointing", "frustrated" and "ordinary". One reader may have summed it up best: "Bitterly disappointed when the season promised so much."
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kalyn Ponga makes huge call on Knights future as Adam O'Brien exit claims take a turn
Newcastle Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga has committed his future to the club having expressed his excitement at the project the team is building as coach Adam O'Brien's exit at the end of the season is not a 'foregone conclusion'. The Knights have embroiled in plenty of drama this week with reports emerging Ponga was looking to leave before the end of his contract to chase opportunities presenting themselves in rugby union. Ponga still has two years still to run on a deal worth $1.4 million per season. The club was rocked with the news, but it came as reports emerged Newcastle were already looking at replacing coach O'Brien after the season was completed. The Knights have had a horror injury run in recent weeks - with Ponga ruled out for the season - but sit in 13th with a tough draw remaining to see out the season. And despite speculation Ponga could be looking at a new opportunity in rugby, the Queensland and Knights fullback has moved to quell all noise and commit his future to the club. Taking to social media on Thursday, the fullback said he is excited for the next step for the club with the likes of Parramatta Eels playmaker Dylan Brown arriving next year. "Committed to the end of 2027. Excited about the vision of the club. Appreciate those that support me," he wrote accompanied with a picture of him celebrating a try in front of the home crowd. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 𝙆𝘼𝙇𝙔𝙉 𝙋𝙊𝙉𝙂𝘼 (@kalyn__ponga) Ponga committing to the club is a massive win for the fans who have supported the fullback throughout his journey. With the likes of Brown joining the side and playing in the halves, it should give the team a massive boost for the 2026 season. And while the Knights' No.1 man is ready to fight for the jersey, it remains to be seen who will be coaching the side next year. Adam O'Brien future in doubt in Newcastle Newcastle bosses are also reportedly preparing to part ways with coach Adam O'Brien at season's end, and are willing to pay him out $1.2 million. A number of candidates have been linked to the job, but speaking on Thursday morning reporter Michael Carayannis suggested it isn't a foregone conclusion O'Brien won't be there next year. "There has been lots of innuendo about firstly, Adam O'Brien's future...I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that Adam O'Brien is not the coach of the Newcastle Knights next year. That's the conversation I've had with people," Carayannis said on SEN Radio. "It's not a certainty that he won't be there...I wouldn't necessarily call him a dead man walking yet." The Knights are reportedly giving O'Brien eight weeks to show improvement in the side. However, the club face a tough run with the likes of Warriors, Raiders and Panthers.
