Tom Dearden: Ponga Likely Rested for Round 14, Knights Shuffle
tom dearden is the headline name in a Newcastle selection shake-up that could leave Kalyn Ponga and Dylan Lucas out of Round 14 against St George Illawarra. The Knights are weighing those changes because of the two-day turnaround from State of Origin, with McDonald Jones Stadium set for an 8pm kick-off.
Ponga is likely to be rested after Origin duty, and Lucas is also expected to sit out. If that happens, Fletcher Hunt or Fletcher Shape may move to fullback, giving Newcastle a straight replacement option rather than forcing a wider backline reshuffle.
McDonald Jones Stadium changes
Bradman Best is slated to return from a calf injury, and Sandon Smith is also lined up to come back after a calf issue. Those two returns give Newcastle some cover as the Origin workload trims the side for a match that arrives only two days after the representative fixture.
Jermaine McEween is unavailable for one match after the club handed him a one-match ban and a $5000 fine over an off-field incident. That leaves Newcastle balancing absences at both ends of the selection sheet, with one of the club’s senior backs likely out and a back-row spot already taken out of circulation.
St George Illawarra absences
St George Illawarra’s own list is also thin. Jaydn Su’A is set to undergo surgery on a pec injury and is expected to miss a minimum of 12 weeks, while Christian Tuipulotu and David Fale are both available again after hamstring injuries.
The Dragons are described as the NRL’s wooden spooners, which makes the round even less forgiving for a side that is already planning around absences. For Newcastle, the immediate issue is simpler: cover the Origin gap, get Best and Smith back into the mix, and avoid losing more ground while Ponga and Lucas are managed through the short turnaround.
Adam Doueihi return window
Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall said Adam Doueihi is “probably not” going to be fit to return in Round 16. Marshall added, “Hopefully the week after, if not definitely the week after that. So he’s had a bit of a slow return” as the halfback edges toward a later comeback.
Kai Pearce-Paul is also feared to face a long-term spell on the sideline after leaving the field with a pectoral injury. That adds another layer to a round already shaped by Origin, injuries and discipline, with clubs forced to pick teams around what they can still field rather than what they would prefer.
