Newcastle's 36-point haul was their biggest score at Brookvale since a 50-16 win in Round 9, 1998. More remarkable is how they assembled it. Justin Holbrook's men are now 2-0 and showed great courage to win after Kalyn Ponga (hamstring) and Dylan Brown (knee) went down in the opening half against Manly on Sunday.
Ponga was sensational in his 28 minutes on the field with a try, five tackle breaks and 109 run metres. The Knights lost fullback Ponga to a hamstring injury after he sprinted to score a try in the 25th minute, while halfback Brown suffered a knee injury setting Ponga's replacement Fletcher Hunt up for a try 10 minutes later. The combined salary impact: approximately $2.7 million in salary across the two men, with Ponga estimated at $1.4 million and Brown at $1.3 million per season.
Ponga and Brown had been at their potent best on Sunday. Ponga was building nicely, while Brown had a hand in two tries. Yet Newcastle didn't crumble. Fletcher Hunt shifted to fullback and was a standout in the second half while Jacob Saifiti, Harrison Graham and Bradman Best also stood tall. While Hunt replaced Ponga, after Brown was ruled out, Harrison Graham came on to play hooker, making his club debut, with Phoenix Crossland switching to the halves.
Manly offered little resistance despite fielding strike weapons Tom Trbojevic, Tolu Koula and Haumole Olakau'atu. Reuben Garrick gets up quickly to play the ball but not one of his teammates gets to dummy half and the Knights come around and pick up the ball in a moment that sums up Manly's day. The Sea Eagles made 15 handling errors in total.
Ponga gave little away about the extent of his problem, saying he hadn't had a hamstring injury since 2018. "Fingers crossed it's best news. I want to be back out there next week, but we'll see," he said. Early assessments suggest Brown will face three to four weeks on the sidelines with medial collateral ligament damage.
After concluding last season with nine consecutive losses, the Knights are now two from two in 2026, one of only four sides to remain unbeaten. They move on to face one of those sides, the Warriors, who sit third after wins over the Raiders (40-6) and Roosters (42-18).
In a saving grace, Fletcher Sharpe looks set to return this week from the knee injury he sustained in round one. The five-eighth/fullback would be a significant inclusion for the club's first home game this season. Knights coach Holbrook backed his depleted lineup without hesitation, but the next week will be scrutinised closely pending scan results.