Knights defeat Dolphins to book finals berth

The Newcastle Knights have completed the NRL finals puzzle with a 14-6 victory over the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon. 

Eighth place on the ladder came down to the last game of the regular season, the winner booking a date with the Cowboys in Townsville next week and the loser turning their focus to 2025. 

With so much on the line, it's no surprise the match was played with finals intensity and it was the Knights who slowly ground their opponents down in front of a sold-out crowd at McDonald Jones Stadium. 

Captain Kalyn Ponga was in the thick of the action, finishing with two try assists to lead his team to the post-season. 

Newcastle will now play North Queensland in a sudden-death final next week after the Cowboys secured fifth place on the ladder with a dominant win over the Bulldogs on Saturday.

For the Dolphins, the quest to make their maiden finals appearance will continue for another year and they will enter a new era in 2025. 

Coach Wayne Bennett will return to the Rabbitohs, with Kristian Woolf taking over and captain Jesse Bromwich is retiring after a decorated 15-year career. 

The result also ends the Raiders season, who needed a draw in Newcastle to claim an unlikely finals berth. 

The early exchanges of Sunday's match were brutal, both teams out on their feet after a fast-paced but physical opening 10 minutes.

The sides eventually settled into their rhythm and the Dolphins slowly gained the upper hand. The advantage looked to be converted into points when Trai Fuller sliced through, however the try was called back due to an obstruction. 

Newcastle made the most of the reprieve, working their way down the field and building pressure through multiple attacking sets of six. The dam wall eventually burst when Ponga put Adam Elliot through a gap to open the scoring in the 28th minute.

They were the lone points of the opening half, the Knights holding on to a 6-0 lead at the break after defending a late Dolphins charge. 

It took Newcastle just four minutes to break through in the second, a series of set restarts leaving the visitors' defensive line stretched. Ponga again played a crucial role, laying on the final pass for Brodie Jones to double the advantage. 

A penalty goal put the hosts up 14 before momentum swung back the Dolphins way.

The Knights repelled multiple waves of attack before Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow eventually crossed in the 71st minute to set up a tense finish. Newcastle, however, were up to the task and closed out the contest to secure their place in the finals.