NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS 28 NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 18
TOM SMITH, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Sunday

JUSTIN HOLBROOK’S first game in charge, Dylan Brown’s first game in Newcastle’s number seven jumper and Kalyn Ponga’s first NRL game since last June ended in victory as the Knights overcame the Cowboys in Las Vegas.

Ponga made a strong return from the foot injury that ruined his 2025, before copping a late high shot from Braidon Burns that landed the North Queensland centre in the sin bin and effectively settled the result.

Half Fletcher Sharpe scored the first try of the NRL season, but limped off with an apparent leg injury midway through the first half, bringing Roosters recruit Sandon Smith on for an impressive club bow alongside the lively Brown.

Ex-St Helens and Gold Coast coach Holbrook started his tenure in perfect style, while the pressure on Cowboys boss Todd Payten only cranks up.

This game also marked the first NRL match under the new six-man-bench rule, where each side can name six subs but only use four.

Injury ravaged both these clubs’ 2025 campaigns, as North Queensland dropped out of the top eight and Newcastle slumped to the wooden spoon.

Knights recruits Brown, Smith and try-scorer Trey Mooney all made dream maiden appearances in red and blue, while North Queensland unveiled signings Reed Mahoney and Soni Luke.

Cowboys’ Tom Chester and Heilum Luki both returned from ACL injuries that ruled them out for the whole of last season.

The Queenslanders’ scrambling defence denied Dom Young then Dane Gagai from dummy-half in the right corner, but Ponga’s boot soon supplied the opener for Sharpe.

Brown then got in on the act, his cross-field kick finding Sharpe then Greg Marzhew to score.

Despite losing gun fullback Scott Drinkwater to a rib complaint — which he returned from ten minutes later — the Cowboys eventually hit back.

Half Tom Dearden sent Luki steaming through a hole from close range, before an extraordinary Sam McIntyre flick offload put the unmarked Murray Taulagi into the left corner.

North Queensland’s task got no easier when forward Thomas Mikaele succumbed to a leg injury, while the Knights also had to cover for Sharpe in the halves.

Locked at 12-all at the break, veteran forward Tyson Frizell gave Newcastle the momentum five minutes after the restart.

Frizell popped an offload which resulted in Smith sending Ponga away, and Bradman Best collected four points in support.

Newcastle threatened to run away with it when some slick hands created space for Young down the right flank.

But the Cowboys fought back again via Taulagi, who pounced on a deft Jake Clifford grubber.

After a free-scoring first 52 minutes, the contest turned into an arm wrestle separated by four points.

That slender deficit felt bigger once Burns charged out of the line and collected Ponga high, reducing North Queensland to twelve for the remaining eight minutes.

And the Knights sealed the two competition points when Young handed Mooney a try on club debut.

GAMESTAR: 246 days since his last NRL appearance, Kalyn Ponga bounced back from his foot injury to set up two tries and break eight tackles.

GAMEBREAKER: With Braidon Burns in the bin, English winger Dom Young flew for a Sandon Smith bomb to gift Trey Mooney four points on club bow.

MATCHFACTS

KNIGHTS
1 Kalyn Ponga
2 Dom Young
3 Dane Gagai
4 Bradman Best
5 Greg Marzhew
6 Fletcher Sharpe
7 Dylan Brown
8 Jacob Saifiti
9 Phoenix Crossland
10 Trey Mooney
11 Dylan Lucas
12 Jermaine McEwen
15 Mat Croker
Subs
13 Tyson Frizell
14 Sandon Smith
16 Thomas Cant
17 Pasami Saulo
18 Fletcher Hunt (not used)
19 Francis Manuleleua (not used)

Tries: Sharpe (7), Marzhew (14), Best (46), Young (48), Mooney (73)
Goals: Ponga 4/5

COWBOYS
1 Scott Drinkwater
2 Braidon Burns
3 Jaxon Purdue
4 Tom Chester
5 Murray Taulagi
6 Jake Clifford
7 Tom Dearden
8 Coen Hess
9 Reed Mahoney
10 Jason Taumalolo
11 Heilum Luki
12 Sam McIntyre
13 Reuben Cotter
Subs
14 Soni Luke (not used)
15 Thomas Mikaele
17 Kai O’Donnell
18 Griffin Neame
21 Matthew Lodge
22 Robert Derby (not used)

Tries: Luki (26), Taulagi (31, 52)
Goals: Clifford 3/3
Sin bin: Burns (72) — high tackle

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 12-6, 12-12; 18-12, 22-12, 22-18, 28-18

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Knights: Kalyn Ponga; Cowboys: Heilum Luki

Penalty count: 4-4
Half-time: 12-12
Referee: Ashley Klein
Attendance: 45,719