It wasn’t the fairy tale ending that super coach Wayne Bennett had hoped for with the mighty Dolphins pipped at the post by a very eager Knights team, going down 14-6. It was a fierce battle between the two sides to see who would take up the highly coveted number eight spot to head to finals.
With so much on the line for both teams, 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 in Newcastle.
Knights captain Kalyn Ponga was in the thick of the action, finishing with two try assists to lead his team to the post-season. The Dolphins went in with high hopes after demolishing fellow Brisbane team the Broncos 40-6 in Round 26 at the end of August following two big losses (against the Storm 48-6 and the Bulldogs 30-10). The Knights came in off the back of two big wins against the Titans (36-14) and Rabbitohs (36-16) and a one-point loss to the Sharks, putting them in top form.
The first half of the match was intense and close to being scoreless as each side fulfilled their six tackles before the ball made its way back down the field again. 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 got through, however the try was called back due to an obstruction in what is being labelled as a controversial call.
The first points finally hit the board in the 28th minute when Ponga put Adam Elliot through a gap to cross the line. With a conversion to follow, they would be the only points in the first half with the Knights taking the lead into half-time.
You could sense the tension in the air as the two sides hit the field in the second half of the game. It took the Knights 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.
The Knights crept closer to the hotly contested eighth spot with a penalty goal in the 54th minute, extending their lead to 14-0. The Dolphins didn’t give up hope, trying multiple times to cross the line, but were met with a strong defence from the Knights. When Jesse Bromwich was sin binned for a swinging arm in the 68th minute, a Knights win looked inevitable. There was an air of excitement for the Dolphins as Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow eventually crossed in the 71st minute to set up a tense finish. But it would be their only try of the match with the Knights locking in the win, their top eight spot and a place in the finals.
For the Dolphins, the quest to make their maiden finals appearance will continue into another year. Next year (2025) is already shaping up as one of changes as they bid farewell to Bennett who is on his way back to the Rabbitohs, welcoming Kristian Woolf into the coach role and also congratulating captain Jesse Bromwich who is retiring after a decorated 15-year career.
Phins up to a great season in 2025!
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