Kalyn Ponga in masterclass display as Newcastle Knights eyeing charge into NRL finals

Kalyn Ponga has exploded back to form for Newcastle and the Knights will be hoping it's the catalyst for another incredible run to the NRL finals in 2024. Ponga was electric for the Knights in their 34-18 victory over the Wests Tigers on Sunday that featured a four-try haul from rookie winger Fletcher Sharpe.

While Sharpe's incredible feat stole many of the headlines, it was Ponga's all-round influence on the contest that will have Knights fans hopeful of another epic late-season surge like in 2023. Off the back of Ponga's Dally M Medal-winning brilliance last season, Newcastle went on a 10-game winning streak that took them into the second week of the finals, before eventually being eliminated by the Warriors in their semi-final.

Newcastle's win over the Tigers on Sunday leaves them on the cusp of the top-eight and needing a similar run of consecutive wins to book their finals spot this season but they do have a favourable draw. Newcastle will need to get past their biggest obstacle when they play the fourth-placed Sharks in round 24 next Sunday, before remaining games against the Rabbitohs, Titans and Dolphins.

The Knights' win over the Tigers leaves them two points behind the eighth-placed Dolphins in 10th but with a far inferior points differential (-89 compared to 35). It could all come down to Newcastle's final game of the regular season against the Dolphins to determine who plays finals footy this season but there is plenty of footy to be played before it even gets to that point.

However, the Knights and their fans will take plenty of confidence from the form of Ponga, who contributed one try assist, seven tackle breaks, one line break, two line break assists and ran for well over 200 metres in a scintillating display against the Tigers. The Knights will need to find another level against Cronulla at Shark Park next Sunday but with Ponga looking back to his best, Adam O'Brien's men will know finals footy is a distinct possibility.

Ponga certainly hasn’t given up hope and insists his side have what it takes to book a finals berth this season. “I think there was plenty (of belief) after the Penrith performance," the Newcastle skipper said about their closely fought defeat to the defending premiers in round 23. “(We) Spoke about some things we need to clean up, and I thought we prepared well, trained well, and that mentality is leading into our games. We’ve just got to stick to the process, get our training right, our preparation right, and that’ll put us in games.”

Newcastle eyeing vital round 24 clash with Sharks

Knights coach O'Brien refused to get too far ahead of himself when speaking about his side's finals chances and admitted straight after the victory against the Tigers that his attention had turned to the next game. "We needed to win and we won," O'Brien said. "We'll enjoy tonight then we'll start preparing for the Sharks (next Sunday) tomorrow afternoon."

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Newcastle's run home certainly looks easier on paper than the eighth-placed Dolphins, who come up against the red-hot Bulldogs and the ladder-leading Storm in their next two games, before finishing with the Broncos and Knights. The other major variable is Shane Flanagan's Dragons, who are also two points ahead of Newcastle and have a similarly favourable draw.

The Dragons next face the Titans, before also coming up against the Sharks. The Red V then face bottom-eight sides Parramatta and Canberra in their final two games of the regular season. The Dragons' finals hopes could be dealt a major blow if Kyle Flanagan is found guilty of biting Bulldogs skipper Stephen Crichton at the NRL judiciary on Tuesday night though - a potential development that would see the five-eighth ruled out of several crunch games for his side.

with AAP