Ponga & Brown injuries overshadow dominant Knights win in Brookevale

Injuries to Newcastle Knights' two most paid players have left a stain on a commanding 36-16 win over the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and a 'two-and-zero' start to the season.

The dominant win continued a dream start for new coach Justin Holbrook, whose side finished with the wooden spoon last season. However, celebrations were tempered after both marquee playmakers were forced from the field in the first half with leg injuries.

Ponga was the first to go down after backing up a break from Bradman Best to score. The superstar fullback immediately grabbed at his right hamstring as he grounded the ball. Although he initially stayed on the field after treatment and handed the kicking duties to a teammate, Ponga lasted only a few more plays before signalling he could not continue.

The former Dally M Medal winner headed up the tunnel and was replaced by Fletcher Hunt.

“It was a bit of an overstride when I made that line break,” Ponga said after the match. “I’ll get scans and go from there. Fingers crossed it’s good news. I want to be back out there next week but we’ll see.”

The Knights are already missing young playmaker Fletcher Sharpe through injury though he is expected to return next week will be the obvious replacement if Ponga is sidelined.

$13m recruit Dylan Brown’s afternoon also ended early after a sustaining a left knee injury while setting up a try for Hunt with a powerful bust through the line. The five-eighth battled on until halftime but was clearly struggling and did not return for the second half. Early indications suggest he could face a stint of around a month on the sidelines.

“Initial thoughts is probably a grade 2 for Dyl. I’m not a physio but I’m guessing around that three to four week mark.” Holbrook said.

A Newcastle press release on Monday confirmed the severity of the injuries.

"Captain Kalyn Ponga sustained a hamstring injury during yesterday’s match, scans conducted this morning have confirmed a high-grade hamstring strain," it read.

"Initial forecasts for his return to play is 6 to 8 weeks, dependant on his response to rehabilitation.

Dylan Brown sustained a knee injury during the match, with scans this morning confirming a grade 2 MCL strain, which will sideline Brown for an estimated four weeks."

Manly's defence was repeatedly dismantled by a Knights side that struggled for points throughout 2025 with missed tackles and basic errors proving costly.

“A lot went wrong, but a lot of that was our own doing,” Anthony Seibold said.

“Give credit to Newcastle – they looked really sharp today and their attack challenged us – but we were way below the standard we expect of ourselves.”

Despite the poor start, Seibold insisted there would be no panic within the club during their round-three bye.

“I’ve been 0-2 before as a coach and finished in the top four,” he said. “There are another 22 games to go. We need to improve a lot from today, but I’ve got a lot of faith in this group.”

Speaking on Fox Sports coverage post game, Greg 'Brandy' Alexander heavily criticised the Manly side.

"It was one of the most insipid performances I've seen from a team, they got through eight sets in the second half," Alexander said.

"Newcastle were there to be beaten, but Manly could not take advantage of it."