Ponga out of Origin III as Knights' fears confirmed
Kalyn Ponga is out of the State of Origin series decider, after scans confirmed the Queensland superstar has suffered a lisfranc injury.
Newcastle confirmed on Saturday morning Ponga was set for a lengthy stint out, less than 12 hours after picking up a foot injury in the loss to Canberra.
Ponga's injury will potentially open the door for Reece Walsh to return to the Queensland No.1 jersey, after his own return to form for Brisbane.
The Maroons' other option would be to shift Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to fullback, after the Dolphins No.1 played centre and wing in the first two games.
Tabuai-Fidow's move would not be simple, however, given back-up centre Jack Howarth is out with appendicitis and Selwyn Cobbo has been dropped by Brisbane.
Ponga's injury is a serious blow to the Maroons, given their game-two win in Perth had offered Billy Slater the prospect of keeping the team intact for Sydney.
Newcastle said in a statement on Saturday that Ponga would begin rehabilitation, "with the view to returning to play in the back end of the season".
Ponga limped from the field during the second half of the Knights' 22-18 loss, with the injury suffered on the opposite foot to the one he suffered lisfranc damage to last year.
On that occasion, he missed seven games for the Knights. A similar timeframe would mean Ponga does not return until the eve of the finals this year.
Almost immediately after the match on Friday night, Newcastle officials had feared the worst.
"Kalyn's tough. He doesn't come off for much," coach Adam O'Brien said.
"You have to drag him off the field with a tow truck normally, so it's probably not a good sign."
Ponga's injury also comes as a significant setback for Newcastle and O'Brien, after the Knights had shown signs of turning their season around in the past month.
Five-eighth and back-up fullback Fletcher Sharpe is unlikely to return again this year, after suffering a lacerated kidney and spleen damage last week.
Fletcher Hunt could now be the man to fill in for Ponga.
For Queensland, it is also a mega blow.
Despite being one of the best No.1s in the competition, Ponga has been restricted to eight games starting for the Maroons since first wearing the No.1 in 2019.
Kalyn Ponga is out of the State of Origin series decider, after scans confirmed the Queensland superstar has suffered a lisfranc injury.
Newcastle confirmed on Saturday morning Ponga was set for a lengthy stint out, less than 12 hours after picking up a foot injury in the loss to Canberra.
Ponga's injury will potentially open the door for Reece Walsh to return to the Queensland No.1 jersey, after his own return to form for Brisbane.
The Maroons' other option would be to shift Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to fullback, after the Dolphins No.1 played centre and wing in the first two games.
Tabuai-Fidow's move would not be simple, however, given back-up centre Jack Howarth is out with appendicitis and Selwyn Cobbo has been dropped by Brisbane.
Ponga's injury is a serious blow to the Maroons, given their game-two win in Perth had offered Billy Slater the prospect of keeping the team intact for Sydney.
Newcastle said in a statement on Saturday that Ponga would begin rehabilitation, "with the view to returning to play in the back end of the season".
Ponga limped from the field during the second half of the Knights' 22-18 loss, with the injury suffered on the opposite foot to the one he suffered lisfranc damage to last year.
On that occasion, he missed seven games for the Knights. A similar timeframe would mean Ponga does not return until the eve of the finals this year.
Almost immediately after the match on Friday night, Newcastle officials had feared the worst.
"Kalyn's tough. He doesn't come off for much," coach Adam O'Brien said.
"You have to drag him off the field with a tow truck normally, so it's probably not a good sign."
Ponga's injury also comes as a significant setback for Newcastle and O'Brien, after the Knights had shown signs of turning their season around in the past month.
Five-eighth and back-up fullback Fletcher Sharpe is unlikely to return again this year, after suffering a lacerated kidney and spleen damage last week.
Fletcher Hunt could now be the man to fill in for Ponga.
For Queensland, it is also a mega blow.
Despite being one of the best No.1s in the competition, Ponga has been restricted to eight games starting for the Maroons since first wearing the No.1 in 2019.
Kalyn Ponga is out of the State of Origin series decider, after scans confirmed the Queensland superstar has suffered a lisfranc injury.
Newcastle confirmed on Saturday morning Ponga was set for a lengthy stint out, less than 12 hours after picking up a foot injury in the loss to Canberra.
Ponga's injury will potentially open the door for Reece Walsh to return to the Queensland No.1 jersey, after his own return to form for Brisbane.
The Maroons' other option would be to shift Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to fullback, after the Dolphins No.1 played centre and wing in the first two games.
Tabuai-Fidow's move would not be simple, however, given back-up centre Jack Howarth is out with appendicitis and Selwyn Cobbo has been dropped by Brisbane.
Ponga's injury is a serious blow to the Maroons, given their game-two win in Perth had offered Billy Slater the prospect of keeping the team intact for Sydney.
Newcastle said in a statement on Saturday that Ponga would begin rehabilitation, "with the view to returning to play in the back end of the season".
Ponga limped from the field during the second half of the Knights' 22-18 loss, with the injury suffered on the opposite foot to the one he suffered lisfranc damage to last year.
On that occasion, he missed seven games for the Knights. A similar timeframe would mean Ponga does not return until the eve of the finals this year.
Almost immediately after the match on Friday night, Newcastle officials had feared the worst.
"Kalyn's tough. He doesn't come off for much," coach Adam O'Brien said.
"You have to drag him off the field with a tow truck normally, so it's probably not a good sign."
Ponga's injury also comes as a significant setback for Newcastle and O'Brien, after the Knights had shown signs of turning their season around in the past month.
Five-eighth and back-up fullback Fletcher Sharpe is unlikely to return again this year, after suffering a lacerated kidney and spleen damage last week.
Fletcher Hunt could now be the man to fill in for Ponga.
For Queensland, it is also a mega blow.
Despite being one of the best No.1s in the competition, Ponga has been restricted to eight games starting for the Maroons since first wearing the No.1 in 2019.
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Cody Walker (hamstring) also failed to finish in his injury comeback, the playmaker's latest soft tissue complaint adding salt to the Rabbitohs' wounds. The Rabbitohs started brilliantly when Latrell Mitchell sliced through and somehow offloaded for Jack Wighton's try. It was all the Dolphins after that, Jeremy Marshall-King raiding from dummy-half to score, then Katoa exploding through the line and producing a no-look assist for Tabuai-Fidow. The pair combined again in similar fashion, with only a desperate Jamie Humphries tripping up the Dolphins fullback as he pinned his ears back for the line. Herbie Farnworth had more joy, though, finding open space before Katoa floated a pass perfectly for Nikorima to score. Katoa tantalised again with a pinpoint pass that dragged the Rabbitohs' defensive line out of shape, Farnworth's quick offload setting up Jake Averillo. Nikorima limped off but the Dolphins weren't done, Averillo trickling a kick back in-field that was scooped up by Tabuai-Fidow to create a 30-6 halftime lead. The No.1 completed his hat-trick when he picked up another loose ball spilled in a marking contest to seemingly kill the contest with 30 minutes still on the clock. But Walker stepped through to create a try for Tallis Duncan and stop the rot, and the visitors had their tails up when that pair combined again to give the back-rower a double before Walker felt for his leg. Tabuai-Fidow settled it once and for all, stripping Davvy Moale on his own 30-metre line, darting sideways into space, then cruising uninterrupted for a fourth try. Wighton and Moale still had time for four-pointers, while rookie Aublix Tawha was reported and earnt the ire of Mitchell after tackling him before he'd caught a high ball. The Dolphins had the final say, Kurt Donoghoe snatching a Humphries intercept as the Dolphins raised the bat again. "We just lost control of it, totally," Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett said. "This season, the challenges have been on our doorstep everyday. "I'm not frustrated by it, not angry by it. "Just accept the reality of it and right now trying to build a team that believes in itself and we're not there yet." Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has delivered a fullback masterclass with a four-try haul in the Dolphins' 50-28 defeat of South Sydney. The No.1 ran amok in his 100th NRL game as the Dolphins reached 50 points for the third time in four games and consigned the Rabbitohs to a fifth straight loss. Halfback Isaiya Katoa had four try assists, while Tabuai-Fidow's display was timely on the day incumbent Queensland fullback Kalyn Ponga was ruled out of next Wednesday's State of Origin decider with a foot injury. Tabuai-Fidow played wing in the Maroons' series-levelling victory but, after 11 tries in nine Origin games on the flanks, has done all he can to show coach Billy Slater he's ready to wear the No.1. "I know he'd do a great job," Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf said of his man potentially wearing the Queensland No.1. "But that wouldn''t have been his motivation tonight; he's just such a genuine guy I think he wasn't really happy with himself last week (in a loss to Newcastle). "I could tell he wanted to make amends for that. Playing 100 games, coming off a loss, playing in front of his family - that's what he'd be concerned about." Victory pushed the Dolphins (8-8) into the top eight but came at a cost, with Kodi Nikorima limping off with an apparent hamstring injury. Cody Walker (hamstring) also failed to finish in his injury comeback, the playmaker's latest soft tissue complaint adding salt to the Rabbitohs' wounds. The Rabbitohs started brilliantly when Latrell Mitchell sliced through and somehow offloaded for Jack Wighton's try. It was all the Dolphins after that, Jeremy Marshall-King raiding from dummy-half to score, then Katoa exploding through the line and producing a no-look assist for Tabuai-Fidow. The pair combined again in similar fashion, with only a desperate Jamie Humphries tripping up the Dolphins fullback as he pinned his ears back for the line. Herbie Farnworth had more joy, though, finding open space before Katoa floated a pass perfectly for Nikorima to score. Katoa tantalised again with a pinpoint pass that dragged the Rabbitohs' defensive line out of shape, Farnworth's quick offload setting up Jake Averillo. Nikorima limped off but the Dolphins weren't done, Averillo trickling a kick back in-field that was scooped up by Tabuai-Fidow to create a 30-6 halftime lead. The No.1 completed his hat-trick when he picked up another loose ball spilled in a marking contest to seemingly kill the contest with 30 minutes still on the clock. But Walker stepped through to create a try for Tallis Duncan and stop the rot, and the visitors had their tails up when that pair combined again to give the back-rower a double before Walker felt for his leg. Tabuai-Fidow settled it once and for all, stripping Davvy Moale on his own 30-metre line, darting sideways into space, then cruising uninterrupted for a fourth try. Wighton and Moale still had time for four-pointers, while rookie Aublix Tawha was reported and earnt the ire of Mitchell after tackling him before he'd caught a high ball. The Dolphins had the final say, Kurt Donoghoe snatching a Humphries intercept as the Dolphins raised the bat again. "We just lost control of it, totally," Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett said. "This season, the challenges have been on our doorstep everyday. "I'm not frustrated by it, not angry by it. "Just accept the reality of it and right now trying to build a team that believes in itself and we're not there yet."
